Touched by an Angel
by Daydreamer123
Summary: Daryl was angry, cheated by a woman and Beth was miserable, cheated by experience. They meet in a darkened theatre. Rick, Lori and Maggie can't believe what is happening.
1. Chapter 1

**This first chapter starts off from Rick's POV**

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters

Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors. Thoughts in Italics

* * *

 **Touched by an Angel**

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

Rick concentrating on finding a parking space, looks up into his rear-view mirror and sees that Daryl still had the side of his forehead pressed up against the window. He hadn't moved or said a word since he was forced out of his room, into the back seat of the car and was made to tag along to the movies like a child.

He lets out an exhausted sigh, clenching his jaw of not knowing what he could do anymore. No matter how much he or anyone tried, Daryl was determined to remain miserable like a beaten down dog. He hated seeing his friend feeling like that, looking like he hasn't slept in months and watching him going down that road of turning to a bottle for comfort and easing his pain which had been the biggest downfall they had all witnessed. They all knew the Dixon Family history of booze and drugs and Daryl had prided himself of never following in the footsteps of his father and brother, but the drastic turn of events in his life led him to the path of destruction and intoxication to block everything of the past couple of years out of his mind.

Daryl was temporarily staying in the guest room in his and Lori's house until Daryl found his own place. Lori had asked him when they would get the room back because her parents were flying into town to visit for the week, they'd been on a cruise so missed Christmas but wanted to celebrate New Years with them and it had been arranged months ago. Plus, he was the one who had suggested New Years because Carl and Judith loved their grandparents and wanted to spend at least one of the special events of the year with them - they were the only surviving grandparents they had. Lori's parents usually stayed in the guest-room during Christmas and Lori didn't want to tell her folks that they'd have to stay in a hotel because one of Rick's friends had barricaded himself in there. He had told Lori, it would be soon but he hadn't had the heart to ask Daryl if he had found a place to rent. Daryl was meant to have only stayed for a couple of weeks and a couple of weeks turned into a couple of months.

It wasn't as if Daryl was the worst house guest, he kept to himself and never made a mess. If Daryl weren't working the long hours in the garage or knocked out asleep in his room when he snuck in to avoid everyone, he was in Dale's Bar hunched up on a stool or in a corner drowning his sorrows. When things got really tough, he drank more than his body could handle and the last time that happened, it was on the anniversary of that dreadful day which should have been the best day of his life. He received a call from Dale at 3am not wanting to get authorities involved. Daryl was an unhappy drunk and when he drank, he flew into a rage when somebody dared to look at him in the wrong way, thinking they thought he was a good for nothing loser and that was the reason why he was alone. He and Shane had to carry Daryl back to Shane's place because he didn't want Carl and Judith to witness a drunken off his face Uncle Daryl cussing and throwing punches demanding they leave him alone and it would have been the last straw with Lori who would have asked Daryl to leave. She had noticed the increase of empty bottles that were being dropped off at the bottle recycling bank and knew he only had a beer a night or nothing because he was always on call for duty and needed to remain sober so it didn't take a genius to know - Daryl was the one drinking and drinking himself into the ground.

Daryl didn't want to tag along. He knew it but Lori was right, Daryl needed to get out and back to civilisation and locking himself away wasn't going to get him back to some normalcy, the reason Lori burst into his room and threw fresh clothes at him to wear because he was going to do normal things people do, like go to the movies and grab a bite to eat with friends. Daryl didn't have many friends that looked out for him and Merle wasn't the best person for Daryl to be around. He'd take Daryl to the even rougher bars where there'd be illegal gambling and fist fights, the dodgy parts of town he hated to have to go to when those fist fights broke out. He'd be one of the deputies trying to break up rednecks with more muscle and testosterone than brains. And then there were the sordid strip-clubs where Merle'd pay the girls to give lap dances and a night of paid sex.

God, he hoped Lori's tough love was what was going to get Daryl to snap out of the depression he was in, he hoped Lori would be tactful because she wasn't really the most tactful person.

"There!" Lori points to a car reversing out of its space.

Rick follows Lori's direction and swings the car into the spot and switches off the engine. Lori had already bounced out the car and was rushing to the ticket machine.

"Sorry man!" Is all Rick says unbuckling his belt but he gets no response from behind his seat.

Rick waits and still nothing. Daryl had practically closed himself off from everyone, he was only grunting and nodding to questions asked. He finally had enough, he had been patient and understanding but Daryl didn't even want to try to ease the tension or try anymore.

"It's been six months Daryl! Rosita's gone, and she's not comin' back, I'm sorry she stood you up at the altar but she did and she's moved on and its time you did too!"

As soon as the harsh reality of words spilled out of his mouth, Rick regretted them and wanted to take them back. He takes a look back into the rear-view mirror ready to apologise and sees Daryl's face twist in a mixture of hurt, frustration and anger. Before Daryl could retaliate, his door opens with Lori hovering over him.

"Daryl, it's just a movie and some popcorn, you may even enjoy it if you give it a chance?" She says sympathetically noticing the pissed off look Daryl was modelling and shoots a killer look back at Rick who just shakes his head, turns back to face forward and slumps his head back into the headrest. He felt like the biggest jerk because blunt Lori was the one giving _him_ a warning look.

"Ya brang me along on ya date night, that's humiliatin', aren't ya supposed ta pull that shit with Carl?" Daryl hisses stepping out and slipping past a startled Lori.

"I hate when people stamp on ma feet as they shimmy their asses right in ma face when tryin' ta watch the screen! I hate rubbin' shoulders with someone I don't know, I hate fightin' for elbow space, I hate the Movies and I wish you'd keep outta my business!" He growls storming off to smoke a cigarette to calm down.

Lori lets out an exasperated huff and was hot on Daryl's heels.

"Working those long hours in the garage, locking yourself away in your room and getting wasted in some dingy bar drowning your sorrows is no way of life to live, so ENOUGH DARYL!" Lori finally snaps "You will stop this bullshit mopin' and sassin' back! Get into that theatre, shut the fuck up for two hours and watch the movie Rick's been dying to watch and after the movie, _YOU WILL_ join us for Pizza or I'm sorry, you'll have to explain to Carl and Judith why their Uncle Daryl can't stay with them anymore, break their hearts just like Rosita did to you but they're kids and they'll get over it, right Daryl because you got over being ignored and forgotten!"

Lori stands there. Tight lipped holding her hip and their tickets in her other hand, waiting for Daryl to object and tell her to fuck the hell off before he storms off. Her insides were twisting but she holds her stance to show she meant what she was saying. She wanted to know whether Daryl Dixon was any better than the Dixon's before him, whether he did care about those around him and not just himself. They had become a tight-knit family unit and it suddenly felt like it was all just fake.

Rick stands back and looks to the ground, silently apologising to Daryl for Lori's bluntness but Lori was at the end of her tether and clearly had enough and frankly so had he. He didn't know how to approach his friend or what to say or do anymore. He had made excuses for Daryl but Daryl wasn't helping himself or the tense environment he was making around them. Carl and Judith were beginning to ask questions and he couldn't answer them - when was Uncle Daryl going to get well again, when he will take them to the woods, to target practice or fishing. Daryl was meant to be a part of the family but how could he be if he was trying his very best to ignore them.

To both his and Lori's amazement, Daryl snatched his ticket out of Lori's hand. But then he was scowling at her. This was the moment they thought he would tear the ticket up and toss it over Lori but instead, he stalks off towards the entrance grumbling beneath his breath.

"You'd think we were tryin' to set him up on a blind date and with his attitude, I'd never dare to!" Lori shakes her head and lets out a deep breathe. "Rick, what are we gonna do?" She asks stepping into Rick's open arms and resting her head on his shoulder as he caresses her back.

"What he needs is to be touched by an angel, we need for an angel to drop out the sky and land in Daryl's lap!" Rick says taking a deep breathe knowing full well that angels don't drop out of skies and if one did, he would drop to his knees and bow down to her.

"What are the chances of that happenin' tonight?" Lori mumbles against Rick to catch Daryl kicking the vending machine in frustration when his Beef Jerky gets stuck.

"...highly unlikely!" Rick says glumly watching everyone running the opposite direction of Daryl who was shaking the vending machine cussing like a true redneck. A couple pretty ladies walking passed, stare disgusted and turning their noses away, Rick knew not one of them would give Daryl the time of day.

Rick had apologised to the manager and promised Daryl would behave as he swept in and swept out dragging Daryl and shoving him into the correct screening.

Once seated, Daryl slouches back in his seat next to Rick who had Lori on his other side as the trailers begin to run. When Daryl kicks his feet up on the chair in front, Rick knocks them off with his booted foot and gives Daryl a stern looking glare to behave.

"Jeez Regina!" Daryl scowls sitting up and rubbing his left shin with his right foot.

* * *

Beth stumbles out of Maggie's Hummer and falls flat on her face.

"Ouch!" She cries grabbing hold of her nose wanting to cry her eyes out but doesn't.

"Bethy, you ok?" Maggie asks running around to find Beth sitting on her knees rubbing her nose.

"Of all the cars, you had to get the one that needs a damn 10ft ladder!" Beth complains.

"Too right!" Maggie beams, leaning over and kissing the open door of her Hummer, it was her baby.

"Don't listen to Aunty Bethy, she's jus' a little cranky because the guy who popped her cherry, didn't really pop it!" Maggie scoffs remembering Beth telling her what happened "He humped her like he was havin' a seizure and only lasted but fifteen seconds - BAHAHAHAHAAA!" Maggie was off again and tears where drowning out of her eyes and down her face.

"Maggie!" Beth cries in absolute horror, she jumps grabbing hold of Maggie and muffles her mouth with her hand before anything else comes out.

Her head swings left and right, back and forward on her knees hoping nobody was paying any attention to them; She had a good girl's reputation to uphold and didn't need her daddy finding out she took the wrong path with clearly the wrong guy. She wanted to forget she had let Zach touch her so intimately, she thought he was the one but as it turned out - he wasn't! Especially after finding out the schmuck was going around gloating to their circle of friends how he had fucked her left, right and centre. He had done something, but not anywhere near her centre.

Beth shakes her head, cringing at the memory. For a guy who was so cute and overly confident, she thought he'd know what he was doing. He didn't know where to put his thing and instead of slipping it into her between her thighs, he just humped her belly button and was practically howling like a wolf and instead of squeezing her breasts, he was squeezing her face. She laid there frozen unable to comprehend exactly what was happening. When it was over, she thought maybe he died but then he kissed her and patted her cheek telling her she was great and he can't wait to do it again, he was going to rock her world.

"Oh C'mon!" Maggie interrupts her thoughts and she was thankful for the interuption. "Let's go watch the movie, it'll cheer you up and don't worry! You need a man, not a boy and me and Glen'll find you a really hot sexy hunk of a man who knows what he's doing and he'll pop your cherry good and proper and he'll screw your brains out!" Maggie promises winking at her.

Tara was right, she shouldn't have told Maggie, some things should just stay unsaid!

"No thank you, I'm not goin' to give my cherry to any man, only if he **_the_** man but I don't think I'll ever find him any time soon so can we drop it please!" Beth pleads sadly.

Her life had come to a standstill and it wasn't how she expected it to be. She had finished her masters and was still a virgin, she was single, jobless and still lived with her parents. She thought her life would have been more like Maggie's - married to a great guy, trying for a baby, employed in the profession she had trained for and in the process of buying her first house with the love of her life. In comparison, her life was nothing, boring and it really, really sucked.

Maggie ushers Beth to the tickets counter and luckily there were only two seats left. Once they paid, got their snacks and drinks, they enter the darkened theatre. Maggie was shoving her to move and when they get to their row, Beth shimmies past seated people to get to her chair. When she looks up at the screen when she hears music, she misses her footing and trips flying forward and landing on her bottom.

"The fuck!" She hears someone grumble beneath her.

When she bounces a little, she realises it's not an empty seat under her ass but it was a lap that belonged to a man.

"Oh no!" She whispers looking into her popcorn cup seeing it was half empty.

She slowly moves her head and just at that moment, the flashing light of a trailer reveals a man, and not any type of man - a sexy hunky man and he was covered in half her popcorn.

Before Daryl could unleash his wrath, he stops and stares captivated at the cute blonde sitting on his lap, she resembled the closest thing to an angel.

"Hey!" Beth smiles snapping him back to attention.

"Hey!" Daryl says back, a smile tugs at his lips and they're just smiling shyly at one another.

Maggie has taken her seat and sits there with her mouth wide open.

Rick chokes on his popcorn, Lori has to smack his back unable to tear her eyes away from what was happening. They just stare at Daryl and the blonde girl in his lap in disbelief. Pretending that they'd not seen anything, they face back towards the screen.

"Ya okay, ya need help?" Daryl asks and Beth nods her head.

Curious, Rick sneakily looks up at the ceiling and opens his hands waiting. When Lori catches him from the corner of her eyes, she nudges him hard in his arm "You already got your angel!" She grins throwing a handful of popcorn into her mouth and returning her attention back to the screen.

Rick slips back into his seat and takes a quick side glance at Daryl who was offering Beth his Beef Jerky. He watches surprised when Beth accepts it, splits it in half and hands it back to Daryl. He'd never seen Daryl so smitten.

"I guess he's been touched by an angel!"


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Thanks for the favs, follows and comments. Here's the second chapter.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters

Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors. Thoughts in Italics

* * *

 **Touched by an Angel**

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

It was a cold morning when Beth lays in front of the fireplace circling around job vacancies. She had been looking for a placement in the city to start the process of becoming a Social Worker but the cut throat environment out there she experienced wasn't for her. She decided to look for something closer to home but there wasn't much of anything of that scale, so she had started to look in the local paper for something temporary until the right position came along. Something's bound to come along, her inner self kept telling her.

"Patience is a virtue." She agrees back to her thoughts, keeping up her morale when the task of searching for something she could do and enjoy doing it was becoming challenging.

She had set herself a goal to find at least a couple of jobs to apply to before the morning ended so had started as soon as the paper was delivered up at the long gravelled drive at the entrance to the farm in her PJ's, boots and wild hair at 6am. She hoped to get an interview before the end of the week, the sooner the better. She loved helping around the farm but she just needed something different.

"Warehouse Operative, Plumber," She reads aloud "Tree Surgeon, _Dental Nurse Receptionist!_ " She says a little high pitched wrinkling her nose.

She was afraid of the dentist which reminded her, she's got an appointment coming up but has been avoiding it like the plague. "I'm not that desperate, not _yet_ anyway." she shudders at the thought clenching her mouth tightly together as she runs her pen across onto the next page.

"Barista, Sales and Customer Service Assistant… _Undertaker!?_ " Scrutinizing the job description and seeing the starting salary for a junior, she was quite surprised. She deliberates for a second knowing beggars can't be choosers and it _was_ different but in the end, shakes her head. The memory of when she was a wee little child comes rushing to the forefront of her mind.

She was six and had peeped into the open casket to say goodbye and take a look at Old Mr Dale who always carried humbugs in his smart jacket pocket and shared them with her and the other children at Sunday Service. She got spooked by the Undertaker asking her what she was doing at the end of the funeral service, making her jump and in her haste of trying to get down and before she knew what was happening, the lid of the casket swung shut taking her down with it. When she was face to face with Old Mr Dale whose one eye popped opened and closed again, aroused the loudest and sharpest shrilling scream from her tiny little lungs thinking he had risen from the dead. Watching those scary movies with Shawn and Maggie when their parents went out at dinner had been a huge mistake. A thought suddenly struck her which made her shiver like somebody walked over her grave. Her body jerks as she shakes away the feeling and moves along.

"Waitress, Fishmonger, Retail Assistant - oh!" said Beth, jumping up onto her knees and staring at the advertisement held up in front of her.

Millie & Tillie's Boutique were hiring. It was the cutest boutique in the area, split on three levels for women, children and one floor dedicated to shoes, handbags, jewellery and even home-wear. She's purchased a number of garments and accessories from there over the years which are her most favourites amongst her treasured articles of clothing in her wardrobe and costume jewellery in her vanity box. She'd always thought she'd be a helpful and great sales assistant.

" _You could sell ice to an Eskimo if you put your mind to it!"_ That's what the man had said laughingly once they shook hands.

She stepped in accidently one time and struck a deal which gave The Greenes a secured account for three years. Their new customer was from the newest chain of restaurants that had opened up all around Georgia and his company wanted to purchase home reared cattle and organically grown produce from one of the local farms in this known area. There had been a mix up with dates and times, her daddy and Otis were in Athens on other business and she could see the man wasn't going to come back another day, he looked important and didn't have any more time to waste. He asked how far The Blake's farm was from there and she knew the reason why. It was the next farm over, a little over a mile away. She sprang into action, talking like she knew what she was talking about, just remembered the jibber-jabber her daddy and Otis talked when negotiating with other businessmen. She said anything she could remember so her family got the account and not Philip Blake who would rub it into her daddy's face like he had done once before. It could have been a stroke of luck or her disarming smile and sweet talking that had won the businessman over and that was three years ago and they'd renewed the contract for another six consecutive years just recently. And she was a people's person.

Her daddy walks into the lounge to see her concentrating hard, in deep thought until she's smiling delightedly. Daddy hobbles over with his walking stick to look over Beth's shoulder to see what had returned that smile to his daughter's face which has been missing the past few weeks. His face drops unpleased.

 _All that education and she wants to stack rails and serve snotty size zero women with sticks up their asses? Dear Lord, HELP!_

"Honey, you sure you don't want to join daddy running the farm or at the clinic?" Herschel asks stepping back, scooting Pugsy the Pug to move before he got squashed under his ass as he takes his seat in his armchair. He lets out a long groan propping his leg up on the stool. Mornings were always the hardest. Diabetes was catching up to him and his leg, the doctors had said may need amputating up to his knee. Once that happened, he wasn't going to be able to do all the jobs he's done all his life and it worries him.

More than anything, Herschel Greene wanted his clinic to be a family run clinic. They were the best and always had returning loyal customers. Like the farm, the clinic was his pride and joy but it was the business he built up from scratch and he wanted to pass it down to his children to be jointly run by them once he retired. Shawn and Maggie the head veterinarians with Beth managing the business side, the staff and clientele if she didn't pursue the social work line of work because not only was she a people's person, she was an animal's person too - everyone loved Little Bethy Greene for her kind and warm presence no matter who they were. The farm was too big for Beth to run alone and he needed to think if it was sustainable in the future and just have Otis running the place and hiring more outside help.

Annette walks past carrying freshly washed linen, clips Herschel across the head to leave Beth alone. He pouts at his wife whilst rubbing his head and returns his attention back to his youngest smiling to herself, contemplating a career in retail and not the career she's spent so many years studying and accumulating a debt on. She had a farm or a veterinary she could have a career in - she could pick one or the other, he hoped it would be the clinic. He feels another migraine coming on thinking of the student loan and the interest that's accruing and the regret Beth'll have once she comes to her senses when she's chin deep in hangers, empty boxes and crate paper.

"Daddy, you know the answer to that!" Beth says over her shoulder with a sorry smile and gets to her feet, plonks herself onto the armrest of the chair and wraps her arms around his neck. She plants a little kiss on the balding patch on the top back of his head. She rubs her arm on his crown buffing it up and takes a look down.

"The future says - don't worry because your Bethy has a goal, whatever job she has now up until then is temporary so don't despair Worrying-Wart-Hercules!" She coos wobbling Herschel's round jelly belly and gets serious, "The future says you need to hit the gym and cut out those second helpings at supper and the midnight snacking's - you know what the doctor said!" She drops one last kiss on his head, springs up, grabs the phone and takes off up the stairs.

Herschel slumps into his cushioned seat taking a heavy sigh watching Beth climbing the stairs "It was worth one last try!" He grumbles disappointed leaning on his elbow, his palm pressed deeply into the side of his cheek.

"Hey Mr Grumpy, have a little faith in her!" Annette says standing behind her husband, combing down his hair with her fingers that Beth had just messed up. She chuckles when a stubborn strand of hair refuses to go down, she decides to lick her thumb and finger and comb it up to give him an Alfalfa look.

Herschel grumbles beneath his breath.

"The ability to wait for somethin' without gettin' angry or upset is a valuable quality in a person," Annette says smiling up at Beth's retreating back, she had a little set back with breaking up with Zach and lost her motivation for a little while but had found it again and more so the last couple of days.

"I have faith in her, I just worry more about her than Shawn and Maggie, she's my little girl." Herschel says knowing Beth was too innocent and trusting for her own good at times.

"She's my little girl too and when she's good and ready, she'll get to where she's gotta be and as her parents we have to just support her in the decisions she makes and trust she'll make the right ones." Annette says comforting Herschel, easing away his worries as she massages his shoulders. "Our little girls a woman now, she's got a good head on her shoulders and she'll know what she wants. If she's got the passion, she'll go after it and get it and we'll embrace whatever it may be – capisci?"

Herschel nods with a hum as they watch Beth walking around the landing and into her bedroom.

"I think this year will be Beth's year!" Annette says confidently kissing her husband's balding patch on the top back of his head.

* * *

"Hey Beth, momma's losin' it, she just told me the funniest thing!" Maggie scoffs walking into Beth's room with bed hair, crop top inside out with one leg of her skull printed sleep pants riding over her knee.

"What's that?" Beth asks putting the finishing touches to her messy topsy tail twist.

Maggie freezes momentarily seeing Beth in a cute white patched lace peplum top, black knee length skirt, a pair of black high heel slingbacks and her face beautifully made up.

"Holy shit, momma wasn't kidding!" Maggie runs her eyes from the top of Beth's head to her feet.

Maggie flops down onto the bed, burying her face into the palms of her hands "Tillie and Millie, you actually want to work for those two mean girls – really?" She mumbles.

"Oh c'mon Maggie, high school was so long ago, they're successful business women now, they don't have time for all that mean girl stuff and they have a great shop!" Beth defends "Besides, it's just short-term."

"Beth, it's their parents to start off with and I'd rather shovel horses shit and be knees deep in cow's dung!" Maggie practically growls standing up, folding her arms and shaking her head.

Glenn walks in half asleep with the same messy hair and a towel loosely wrapped around his waist.

"Whassup?" He asks yawningly and rubbing away at his eye.

"Beth wants to work for Tillie and Millie!" Maggie snaps without taking her eyes off of Beth whose rolling her eyes as she slips on the pair of diamond studs her parents gifted to her on her twenty-first birthday. It gave her all the glamour she needed.

Glenn stops rubbing his at eye and is wide awake, "Why would you wanna do that?" He asks in disbelief.

"Isn't it obvious Glenn!" Beth laughs, grabs hold of her wallet and shakes it, letting out all the invisible money, "That's why!" she snaps her purse shut and tosses it back into her handbag.

Glenn doesn't hang around. He turns around and practically runs out the room, his towel getting caught on the doorknob in the process. He shrieks when it slips off revealing his tight little buttocks clenching together when the cold air hits it. Maggie lets out a dirty little laugh as Beth lets out a whistle throwing him a wink when he looks up. Glenn covers his frontal area as he pulls the towel off the knob with rosy cheeks and stampedes down the landing back into Maggie's room.

"Glenn, put on some damn pants for goodness sakes!" Shawn complains as he enters the family bathroom wanting to upchuck his cornflakes. He's seen Glenn's little soldier more than he'd liked to have ever seen or admit to have seeing.

A couple of seconds letter, Glenn returns and presents Beth with a wad of notes rolled up, bound together by an elastic band.

"If you need money, we've got a little saved up for a rainy day and you need it more than we do right now! Take it and don't be in any hurry to pay it back!" Glenn insists grabbing Beth's hand, placing the money into it, closing it shut and pushing her hand back to her.

Beth's face softens staring at the money, she grabs her handbag and gives Glenn a hug before handing his mattress savings back.

"You guys need it for the house. You never know when you'll get a leaky roof or broken gutter, or a drafty window that needs replacing but more importantly, babies aren't cheap!" She reminds them.

When Beth pulls away, she kisses Glenn on the cheek and sets off for her interview which was at noon. She wanted to drive into town and slip into the library to prepare herself with some research on the company and the new lines the boutique had in stock so she knows what she's talking about. Tillie and Millie were mean girls back in high school but a lot of time has passed since the days they terrorised her and they were all grown women who shared the passion of fashion and she wanted to impress and more than anything, she wanted a job and she needed an opportunity.

Glenn stands there watching Beth go. He had a sister but they were never close. He was much closer to Beth than he was with Suzy and he sends Beth all his positive wishes and energy so she succeeds in getting a job and hoping she can finally settle down and not move to Atlanta or somewhere else around the country. Maggie had worried Beth would move away one day if she didn't find anything close to home. If Beth, moving away was to become a reality, he knew the family would be devastated if she left. He knew he would be.

Maggie watching her husband, can't believe how lucky she is. She loved that he thought of her family as his family and she couldn't wait to start a family of their own. She'd never been the maternal type but Glenn has opened her eyes to a life she never knew she wanted until now.

"C'mere, my sweet sexy hunk of a man!" Maggie growls yanking Glenn's towel and tossing it into the air, it lands on the ceiling fan.

"Maggie!" Glenn squeaks, jumping up to grab at it but it was too high.

Maggie watches mischievously and then Glenn's running to the door and slamming it shut. He doesn't have time to react when he turns around and Maggie's on him like white on rice and pushing him over onto the bed. He drops onto his back on Beth's soft bed watching Maggie pulling off her crop top and her sleep pants following pursuit.

"Mags, we shouldn't be doin' this in here, it's wron-" He cuts off with a whine once Maggie slips down his suddenly hardened length. It was like magic only Maggie could perform.

"We could stop?" Maggie asks innocently batting her lashes, grinding against him and then ever so slowly pulling off.

"No!" He says louder than he should, pulling Maggie back down for a sloppy kiss and letting out a moan once she's seated back down on him.

"Thought not!" She grins wickedly getting her way and begins making love to Glenn.

She's come off the pill and it was only a matter of time and with the way they've been going at it, she'd be pregnant very soon.

"Yes!" Maggie chants picking up speed and swinging her hand in the air.

Glenn watches Maggie slack jawed in awe, moving with her rhythm thinking it would be even hotter if she was swinging her cowgirl hat above her head and upon hearing Maggie yelling _YEAHAAAAAAAAA!_ it was his undoing.

"I'm so glad you guys are movin' out into your own little freak house!" Shawn pounds angrily on Beth's door hearing them from the bathroom which was right next door. "And burn those damn sheets before ya leave for work!" He says when he slams the door shut which only makes Maggie burst out laughing and Glenn is up and pulling off the bedding not wanting to get his ass kicked because one of these days, he knew Shawn would bury him into the ground.

* * *

 **A/N:- I hope you join me next chapter where we catch up with Daryl and Co.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Thanks for reading, the follows and comments.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters

Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors. Thoughts in Italics

* * *

 **Touched by an Angel**

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

As Rick steps out the shower, Lori walks in with Judith attached to her hip and hands their toddler over before climbing into the shower herself and closing the door behind her. When he hears the water spraying down and Lori letting out a deep and satisfied moan, he looks back wishing he was back in there with her. Morning showers with Lori used to be his favourite part of his morning routine and the bubble baths he used to gate-crash when she was having a soak before bedtime was another. He inhales and exhales deeply, reminiscing the days when they just couldn't get enough of each other, had plenty of time or made time for one another. He wondered where those days had gone.

And then he remembered, they had Carl and then Judith.

Since Judith came along which wasn't planned, they hadn't really had time to share showers in the mornings or have sex if he was being completely honest. They were always busy or in a rush. Evening times was just as crazy; helping Carl with his homework, getting them both fed, bathed, teeth's brushed and put to bed with a story read to each. It was time consuming.

When they got a little peace in the evenings after tidying up, they collapsed on the couch. He needed to unwind with the remote and sometimes a cold beer on the rougher days. Lori was always tired and dozed off on the couch when the theme tune to the nine o'clock news came on or as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out for the whole night. Taking care of the house and running around after a demanding twelve-year-old and a mischievous two-year-old all day would do that, and that's why he felt guilty whenever he'd wake Lori up for some action between the sheets. No matter how tired he was, he always had a little energy for sex but Lori didn't.

The times when he got in from a late night shift and craved a quickie or just to love on his wife because he missed her, it wasn't worth the hassle because they'd argue about him working too late and missing family time. She'd give him the brush off it was too late and they'd turn their backs angry and upset at one another. But if by miracle he put the moves on and was successful, they'd have to be really quiet because usually Judith's sixth sense sprang to life and her cries would boom out the baby monitor making Lori wiggle and push him off of her half way through chasing his release, leaving him hanging and having to finish the job off himself. They went weeks without doing it and it's coming up to three agonising months now and relieving himself in the shower _alone,_ wasn't fun or healthy. The tension growing between himself and Lori was starting to escalate and the main reason now being Daryl. He was still there and this was putting more strain on their already troubled and turbulent relationship which needed addressing fast. He knew what he needed to do but couldn't bring himself around to doing it. Daryl wasn't just his friend - he was his brother too.

"Urghhh!"

"Dad-ddyyyyy!" Judith screams to finally get his attention.

Rick winces. He sticks his finger into his ear as it rings out. Judith had put her mouth right up into his ear and screamed when he ignored her the first time. She was a demanding little toddler and always got her way just like her mamma.

"What is it princess?" He asks wiggling his finger in his ear, pulling it out with a loud pop.

Distracted and tickled by the noise, Judith forgets what she wanted, starts giggling and makes popping noises with her mouth "Daddy Pop! Daddy Pop! Pop! Pop!"

"Daddy's gonna drop one of these days!" He says, but seeing Judith's eyes sparkling bright and her open mouthed smile revealing a few little gapped teeth - he melts and smacks wet kisses all over her chubby cheeks and neck "But you missy, are worth dropping for…muah…muah!"

"Top it daddy!" She squeals shaking her head and suddenly head-butting him.

"HOLY FUCCCDGEEE!" He yells stepping back and sitting down on the closed lidded toilet when he sees stars and feels the tiled floor moving beneath his feet. The last time he felt a head smash like that against his head was when a convict head-butted him when resisting arrest back in his rookie days – it knocked him for six, he threw up and this didn't feel any different.

"Holy Fuccccdgeee! Holy Fucccdgeee!" Little Judith repeats when Rick comes back around "Holy Fuckadododooooooooooo!" comes out.

Rick's eyes pop out of his sockets as he jumps and covers her little mouth with his hand, muffling the curses when the water pipes groan and rumble notifying him Lori was turning the water off.

 _Shit! Fuck! Shitty Shit! Fuck!_ Is all he can think not knowing how to explain this new cuss word coming out of their toddler when Lori hears it.

He doesn't often swear in front of Carl or Judith, sometimes it comes out accidently but rarely, and to top it - that was pure Daryl Dixon coming out of Judith's mouth just then. Everything was Fuckadododoooo when things didn't go Daryl's way. He wouldn't need to explain to Lori, Lori will instantly know who Judith's learnt that word from.

"Shushhhh!" He shakes his head "Your mamma's gonna _eff_ me and Daryl up if you continue to repeat everythang you hear!" He whispers.

"Rick!" Lori calls and he shakes his head at Judith who copies him.

Judith was going through the troublesome two's stage and he swears Carl wasn't this bad at this age. If anything, he was well behaved and a non-cussing toddler who sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star morning, noon and night.

"Yeah?" He answers when the squeak of the door slides open, Lori pops her head out.

"What time are you off tonight?" She asks with wet hair sticking to her face.

"…around seven." He finally answers having to think about it and had to make sure he actually did leave the station on time and not get dragged into helping out and doing overtime. There were other senior deputies around but everyone was guaranteed to turn to him for help and advice because he was too nice to say no.

"Good!" She smiles, sticking her head back into the steam and sliding the door shut.

Rick grabs the door and asks why.

"You're gonna tell Daryl he has to find somewhere to live for the week when my parents arrive, I'm not sendin' them to a hotel for New Years, and especially since you were the one who invited them! And you're the one who let Daryl stay and it's now been six months, so you're the one whose gonna fix this mess especially if you ever want Sheriff Grimes to take a stroll in my garden," She says nodding towards his crotchal region "be here by seven _not_ eleven, entender mi amigo?"

"Lori, don't make me kick a man when he's down, especially when he's a friend!" Rick implores to his wife's heart, it was still in there somewhere he had to believe "He's still heartbroken from losing the love of his life!"

"Huh!" She huffs "that hussy wasn't the love of his life, she was the mistake of his life and I say it was the best thing to have happened to Daryl to be left standin' alone at that altar no matter how hurt and humiliating it must have been. She did him a favour, we're doin' him a favour and you've got to make him realise! He's had enough time to brood and mope but I want my space back, I want our home back, I want us back!?"

Rick stares deep into Lori's unwavering eyes, she was serious and not just about Daryl but about them too.

He sighs nodding his head.

"Alright," he said knowing she wasn't going to back down and she was right. In the process of helping Daryl, he and Lori were becoming distant and if he wasn't careful, they'd be the next to drift apart with Lori being the one walking out on him. "I'll see if he can crash at Shane's and once your folks leave, I'll help Daryl find a place to rent."

Relieved, Lori smiles and cups the side of Rick's cheek and presses a sweet kiss to his lips.

"If Shane gets too much, then he can come back once my parents go home BUT on the understanding he needs to clean himself up and find some place to live!" She asserts "Besides, I think I've found the right girl for him who I reckon could be the one to help him out of this funk he's fallen into!" She grins "Never saw him so smitten over a girl before, not even the woman who shall not be named!"

Rick chuckles thinking of Lord Voldemore from Carl's Harry Potter books. He thinks back and remembering his and Lori's date night, it all comes flooding back to him. He choked on his popcorn watching what had been unfolding before their eyes. Daryl's unpredictable reaction and his behaviour the whole two and half hours they sat in that dimmed out movie theatre. He had concentrated more on Daryl than the actual movie he had been waiting so long to see. Lori had classed Daryl cute and adorable and he wasn't sure cute and adorable fitted the profile of foul mouthed and grumpy Daryl Dixon. But he guessed it only took one special someone to pull away the thick layers and bring out the best from the unlikely.

"The girl that dropped into Daryl's lap?" He asks, his lips creep up at the corners just as Lori's does unable to believe that had happened.

"God works in mysterious ways!" Lori agrees.

"Eya eya o, fuckadododooooooo!"

Rick's smile drops off his face just as quickly as Lori's does. They look down at Judith shaking her hands above her head whilst swaying her body on Rick's hip.

"Fuckadododoooo eya eya ooooo!" She continues singing clapping her hands.

One look at Lori and he knew he was dead man walking.

"I'm onnit!" Rick promises bundling Judith into the crook of his arm and marching into the bedroom asking why, why she wants to get them into trouble the way she does.

"Need to find out who this angel girl is, where she lives and whether she has a boyfriend, Rick can then check to make sure she's not a lunatic!" Lori decides determinedly, making it her mission to get Daryl back into living a life so she and Rick could return to theirs and stop Judith cussing. Ass-kicker was one of Judith's first words that came out of her little innocent mouth when she started talking and Lori knows it's the name Daryl calls Judith since birth when nobody's around.

She sighs pushing the door shut when she can hear Rick saying _no_ sternly to Judith and Judith saying _no_ back.

* * *

Rick settles Judith down in her high chair as she sucks on her pacifier. Whilst buckling her in, his eyes move towards the table. He stands to attention looking around the room. He hasn't seen the place so tidy and for a minute he believes Lori's been up all night working. But then he remembers he slipped into bed an hour after she had, she was snoring and only stopped when he cuddled into her back. When he woke this morning, they were in the same position. He runs his finger over the table, not a single speck of dust or crumbs. His attention is diverted when he hears drawers being opened and closed.

He lifts Judith's chair and puts her into the coat-closet, grabs his gun and takes off the safety. Carl had slept over Duane's, Lori was still in the shower and Daryl didn't ever venture into the kitchen in the mornings, he was up and out of the house at the crack of dawn whilst everyone was asleep no matter what the weather was like. He moves slowly missing the creaky floorboard, gun aimed ready as his eyes concentrate heavily towards the kitchen door where the noise was coming from. As his eyes quickly scan around the kitchen, he sees movement coming from the open pantry. When he rounds the corner, he moves in quick.

"The fuck Rick!" Daryl snaps feeling the cold end of Rick's gun pressed into the back of his head.

"Jesus Christ Daryl!" Rick snaps back relieved, pulling the gun away, safety back on and holstering it into his belt. "What are you doin'?"

"Jerkin' myself off!" Daryl turns around holding a bowl with batter mixture and a hand whisk in the other mixing it. "What d'ya think I's doin' dumbass!?" He asks brushing passed Rick and dumping the bowl down on to the counter as he flips over the bacon.

Rick's follows slowly behind and runs his eyes over the breakfast Daryl was making. It was the first time Daryl had taken the initiative to do something like this and it had to be at a time he was going to be kicking him out, why couldn't he have done this before to butter up Lori.

"I'm makin' ya fuckin' waffles and bacon, ya gonna shoot me for makin' ya waffles and bacon, yeah back in the sticks you'd get shot for touchin' another man's bacon - didn't know ya rich people jus' the same!" Daryl shakes his head.

"Alright!" Rick sighs turning around to get Judith out the coat-closet. When he opens the door, Judith uncovers her eyes and yells "Fuckadododoooo… _Daraaaaaa!_ " She squeals seeing Daryl hovering in the background, he throws her a wink as she waves.

"Imma shoot you for that!" Rick frowns over his shoulder at Daryl.

He picks Judith up and carries her and the high chair back to the table. He puts her back in, crouches down to her level so they're eye to eye as he snaps her in and places his arms around her little table so they can talk one on one or more like, I talk and you listen.

"We do not say bad words and we do not repeat _anythang_ that comes out of Daryl's mouth!" He tells Judith sternly "Is that clear young lady?!"

Judith's lips wobble at Rick's severe tone. She hated that. Daddy's severe tone. Her big round blue eyes well up and before Rick can stop them, big fat tears drop out each of her eyes and splash onto her little table followed by sobbing cries up into the ceiling which no doubt, would reach Lori's ears.

"Judy, baby, daddy's sorry!" He cuddles her, rocking her side to side kissing her face.

"Hey, why'd ya make Ass-kicker cry!" Daryl snatches Judith into his arms and shoves Rick out the way.

"The big bad wolf scare ya Juju?" He coos as he pats Judith's back shushing her whilst he bops her up and down.

"Bad Daddy!" Daryl scolds Rick with the spatula covered in bacon grease. "C'mon half-pint, let's go fry some of daddy's cuckadododoooos!"

Lori makes it down the stairs to stand beside Rick to see the place looking the cleanest it's been in, she can't even remember, turns to Rick overwhelmed with emotions and covering her mouth.

"Rick, when did you do all this?" She asks.

Rick shakes his head gesturing towards the kitchen "It was-"

"He was attit when I got in passed midnight!" Daryl cuts in appearing with a mug of coffee and Judith following closely behind chewing on a tiny waffle "Cheers for the waffle and bacon!" He smirks biting into Rick's bacon.

"Num, num, num!" Judith mumbles sucking her waffle.

"Rick!" Lori gushes, stepping into him and wrapping her arms around his neck. She kisses him hard on the lips.

"I'm sorry!" She says sincerely, "I know I can be a bitch sometimes,"

Rick raises his brow at the _sometimes_.

"Ok, most times!" She swats Rick's back trying not to smile but fails. "Baby, thank you for puttin' up with me, I'm gonna try harder." She promises.

From the corner of Rick's eyes, he sees Daryl grabbing his backpack and opening the front door. When he meets Daryl eyes hidden beneath his shaggy bangs, he nods a thanks and Daryl throws him a crooked smile in reply.

"I'm gonna try harder too!" Rick says embracing Lori, running a hand up and down her back.

Not only was he going to make more of an effort at home and be a better husband to Lori, he was going to help Lori find the girl from the Movie Theatre. Daryl deserved a nice girl and _The Angel_ as they were referring to girl as, was who Daryl needed in his life. Daryl didn't smile or get flushed face at anybody unless he really meant it.

Daryl looks back at The Grimes' house and knows he needs to get his shit together. Rick and Lori have been good to him and he was starting to get under their feet, he could sense the strain in their relationship and it was time to move on. He knew this was his only way of trying to get them back to how they once were. Rick's the closest thing to family he's got and Lori too plus the kids who he wasn't ashamed to admit, he loved them unconditionally. He had a soft spot for Little Ass-kicker. Shane had agreed to let out one of his spare rooms and didn't care how long he needed it. The rent was fair and he had plans to save as much money as he could so one day, he can look up at a house like this and be proud of it.

Rosita was gone, she's in the past and he was determined to start afresh with his future.

He pulls out the empty foiled wrapper and thinks about the girl who he shared his Beef Jerky with. He didn't mind that she stamped on his feet, fell into his lap, rubbed shoulders with him and hogged the elbow space on the armrest between them. He liked that when she laughed, she laughed into his arm and hide behind it when she got scared. He doesn't mind the Movies, he'd go again so long as she was there.

Kick starting his engine, he puts his helmet on and tucks the wrapper securely into his chest pocket and sets off towards town. He wondered where she came from and whether he'd see her again. The thought makes his heat beat just that little bit faster and when the bitter cold air hits his face, he doesn't frown or cuss – he just smiles.

* * *

 **A/N – The fun begins** **J**


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Thanks for reading, the follows and comments.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters

Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors. Thoughts in Italics

* * *

 **Touched by an Angel**

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

Beth pulls open the heavy glass door and Jessie J's Sexy Lady was playing in the background. The women's wear department was heaving with shoppers looking for bargains in the holiday sales. Every shoppers favourite time of the year to get that discount on that gorgeous outfit they wouldn't normally be able to afford.

Taking in the newly revamped boutique, Beth was impressed at how far the twins had come in a short period of time. It was already stylish and chick the last time she visited which was almost a year ago but now, WOW! she could see business was booming and doing well.

And then she sees them!

She almost forgets why she was there as she powerwalks in her high-heels trying not to trip directly over and stops to stare at the mannequin on display modelling the most magnificent pair of leather boots she's ever seen. She almost faints when she sees the 50% off sale sign on the price tag but then she sees the price which brings her back to reality - they were expensive and way out of her price range.

She sighs deeply, they were really gorgeous and reminded her of the pair similar to the ones she had when she was younger and only stopped wearing them when she grew out of them. That had been a sad day when her mamma wanted to chuck them away but instead she buried them in the backyard next to the graves of her beloved Rabbit that lived to the grand age of ten, Shawn's ugly Iguana and Maggie's creepy Tarantula. She's never found a pair quite the same that resembled the ones she loved so much, until today. "Never mind!"

"They are gorgeous."

Beth hums in agreement, turning her head to the side to see a long haired guy with a beard standing admiring the boots beside her.

"I'm Jesus and I'm guessin' your Beth?" He says facing her and extending his hand with a warm smile.

Beth looks at him puzzled. "Yeah, that's my name! But how'd you know?" She asks suspiciously raising an even perplexed brow, standing at her full height trying to remember if she transferred the pepper spray into her handbag when she switched bags this morning and she remembered she hadn't.

 _AWWW CRAP!_

If they ever found out, both Maggie and Shawn will never let her out of the house plus her daddy – he'd have the biggest hissy fit a grown man could ever have when it came to her and everyone three counties away in all directions knew it. Her family have always been over the top and over protective, especially since she left for college and university, always wanted her to have some sort of protection since neither would be there to protect her. It had always been that way and it didn't look like it would ever change even when she turns grey, saggy skinned and walking with a walking stick – she would _always_ be Baby Bethy to them.

"I'm sorry!" Jesus laughs nervously holding out a hand and fishing through his pant pockets for his store's identification badge when he observes the look on Beth's face and reading her body language which looked ready to be getting into position to swing her handbag at him. He knew he was always over friendly and today he must appear possibly a creeper the way the blonde was watching his every move without blinking.

"I'm the assistant manager and Callie's spoken nothin' but you since you called this morning enquiring after the sales assistant's position." He explains in a rush, holding up his badge when he finds it, bracing himself the beat down of his life by a tiny girl if it was his nephew's pacifier he pulled out instead of his badge. His nephew was at an age where he loved to shove things into his pockets.

Beth's eyes sweep the plastic card to see long haired, bearded guy's smiling photo, his name and his position at Tillie's and Millie's. She looks up at him and he stands before her, smiling like a carbon copy of his badge's photo.

"Jesus, you're lucky I didn't go Rambo on you!" Beth lets out a breath as her body relaxes and they both burst out laughing.

"It would help if ya introduce yourself first dummy!" He says rolling his eyes at himself. "All's I can say is - Phew!" He chuckles re-extending his hand.

Beth shakes her head bearing her perfect white teeth as she reaches out and shakes Jesus's hand watching his smile lift higher and relieved as he drops the lanyard to dangle around his neck.

"Callie's jus' finishin' up on a conference call and then she'll be ready for you, you're the last interviewee today." He informs waving goodbye to a few regular customers.

 _Callie?_ Beth thinks long and hard and then it suddenly dawns on her. "…Mrs Wilson?" She asks surprised but more confused. Why would Mrs Wilson be talking about her, what exactly about and why was she here instead of her daughters she wondered.

Jesus nods and motions for her to follow him. When they reach a set of double doors, he punches in the code numbers, it beeps and then unlocks for them to enter.

"I thought either Tillie or Mille would be interviewing me, but Mrs Wilson?" She enquires hesitantly staring in and seeing the big leather swivel chair with its back to them. She presumes its Mrs Wilson sitting in the chair facing the window, listening to someone talking on speaker. Her guess was confirmed correct when she hears Mrs Wilson hum satisfied and then hum unsatisfied.

Jesus opens the door wider, steps aside and gestures for her to enter "The twins are holidaying in St Tropez right now and Callie's taken a more active role in her smaller investments, semi-retiring if there's such a thing?" A light smirk graces his lips.

Beth let's herself smile understanding. Her daddy had supposedly semi-retired about a year ago but was still in the driving seat of the farm and clinic. Mrs Wilson taking a more active role in her smaller investments and less at Wilson Corporation's Tower Buildings - she didn't know whether this was good or bad but she's going to find out fairly soon. Where Tillie and Millie came across shrewd, intimidating and mostly irritating, Mrs Wilson who's a very busy and successful business woman didn't need to use many words or intimidation to put her point and authority across to anyone. People jumped through hoops to get things done and to please her. Women wanted to be just like her and men practically bowed down to her superiority. But she wasn't sure the quainter life to the hectic busy life Mrs Wilson was used to in the city was going to be as satisfying and fulfilling, and that could cause problems and be frustrating.

Now she was a little unsure whether or not she was making the right decision. She could be wrong and Mrs Wilson could be the worst of them all and she's misjudged her and everyone's judgement. It had been years since she's seen or interacted with The Wilsons only what's been said on the grapevine through family and friends or whatever's been posted on Facebook. Tara texted her in the library saying she was crazy for applying to work with the Wilson Twins and if she's that desperate, Tara could get her a job at her dad's Tack & Bait Shop because working with dead and or alive worms and bugs was apparently better than working daily with The Bitches of King County.

"Don't worry, it's all but good praises," Jesus reassures reaching over and patting Beth's shoulder when he sees the worry lines etched over her forehead.

Beth lets out a nervous giggle and gulps when the leather chair spins around slowly and reveals Callie Wilson sitting behind the big glass desk catching her in her line of sight and disconnects the call.

"Oh my god, I'm really doin' this!" Beth mumbles to herself only now realising the extent of what she was walking into.

"All the best!" Jesus whispers giving her a slight nudging help along to go in.

Once her feet remember how they worked, she composes herself walking in as Callie Wilson watches her approaching.

 _Please stop that!_ She pleads when she sees the elder woman appraising her.

"Elizabeth."

"Mrs Wilson," Beth greets back "thank you for this opportunity." She says stretching her hand and wondering whether she made the right move and relaxes when the woman who she so badly wants to impress reaches over, grasps her hand and shakes it with so much confidence and experience, she feels a little of that transfer over into her body.

"Take a seat and we'll get started." Callie Wilson gestures to the chair opposite with a smile for the first time and nods to Jesus who returns the gesture backing out the room.

Beth slips into her seat and hands over her leather bound folder. She takes a quick glance over her shoulder and Jesus gives her a reassuring wink before the doors shut closed. When Beth faces back around, she entwines her fingers together and rests them in her lap watching Mrs Wilson looking over her certificates, her qualifications and her achievements. Mrs Wilson doesn't give anything away with her blank face. And by any senses, she knew she was well over qualified but she needed a job, it was close to home and the past few days she had a feeling, King County is where she needed to be.

She goes off into her thoughts. It wasn't the time nor the place but he popped into her mind like he has been doing since movie night with Maggie. She wanted to find out who he is, get to know him if at all possible before throwing herself into something that would take over her life. There was something about him that she just couldn't forget, it was a feeling she had deep inside that she couldn't shake away since that night she locked eyes with him. Moving away to some place across the country wouldn't enable her to do that. And what was bugging her the most was, she didn't even know his name but figured from the man and woman he was with, they all lived or lived close to King County, the next county from her parent's farm.

"I don't understand," Mrs Wilson interrupts her thoughts "Beth, your capabilities and credentials are more than being a shop assistant, you have the qualifications to be someone useful to society, why?" She asks looking over the folder and meeting her eyes curious to know.

Beth looks at her leather bound folder spread open on the glass table, the dress samples hanging on a rack from the corner of her eye, back to her folder and then to the waiting face of Mrs Wilson. Honesty was the best policy, she only ever wants to be honest and it would be wrong to be dishonest and mislead Mrs Wilson.

"Fashion is my passion but I'd be lying that retail is my future, it's not!" She confesses and she can see Mrs Wilson appreciates her honesty so she continues.

"I've tried out the city. It's not for me, it's a dog eat dog world out there and I'm a small town/country girl and I know I could do good for the people here who are always forgotten by the system but right now - there aren't any opportunities in the field I want to dedicate my life to but I need a job, I need an opportunity and everyone has to start from somewhere whether it's what they plan to do for the rest of their lives or just for the experience. It's a temporary position and I need a temporary job to fill in the temporary gap! I know hard work, I grew up on Herschel Greene's farm and I won't let you down!" She reassures strongly catching her breath wondering whether any of her ramblings made any sort of sense. She crosses her fingers, her toes and her legs when Callie Wilson sits back in her seat with an unreadable look on her face.

* * *

Axel watches Daryl with bewilderment, wondering what he'd taken to be on top of his form today. It had to be something effective and powerful at the speed and efficiency Daryl was working and he wanted whatever it was Daryl was taking.

Everyone was impressed because Daryl was on fire. As well as quantity, the end result of his work was quality. He's carried out a couple of full services, engine tune ups, oil changes, replaced fluids, filters, fixed a leak, ordered parts throughout the day whilst training an apprentice and dealing with frustrated customers and some of the dickhead regulars. The cash register was bursting, the appointments book was nearly booked up and every customer he's seen to was pulling out the forecourt smiling. All in all, it's been a good and productive day, better than any they've had in forever. Big Boss Man had dollar signs in his eyes as he did the figures and accounts for the day and slipped them all a $40 bonus and said the first round of beers at the bar and chicken wings were on him.

"Psst!" Axel hisses quietly "Daryl's whistlin', he's been whistlin' all day!"

"So?" Oscar says lifting his head from beneath the bonnet, holding out his hand for a wrench whilst taking a quick glance over at Daryl who was wiping his greasy hands on a towel and making his way to the car pulling in.

Oscar thought it was good Daryl was whistling and not biting someone's head off like the past few months. Rosita had done a number on Daryl - the worst thing imaginable to any man and brought out the worst in him. Daryl's recent behaviour sort of reminded him of Bad Boy Merle from back in the days when he used to run around with Merle Dixon until they both were arrested for brawling and sent to prison. It would be a big shame if Daryl was to ever follow in Merle's and their father's footsteps because everyone was expecting for him to do so.

"So," Axel tuts "Daryl doesn't regularly whistle," He says handing over the wrench. "He doesn't ever whistle to my recollection or smile in fact!" He reaffirms matter-of-factly shaking his head.

"Man would ya stop stalkin' the guy before he sticks somethin' sharp up ya exhaust because if he don't – I will!" Oscar threatens sticking his head back under the bonnet.

Alex loved to irritate people without realising he was doing it, Alex reminded him of his wife and for a moment he nearly upchucks over the engine and his hands for thinking that thought.

"He looks too mighty pleased with himself!" Alex observes again leaning forward on his elbows watching the part-time hunter's lips twitch up every so often when he thinks nobody's watching. "Oh, I'm watchin' ya Dixon!" He scoffs.

"If I was Daryl and The Big Boss was singing my praises each time a car rolls out with a happy customer promising to send their family, friends and work colleagues next time they need a mechanic - I'd be mighty pleased with myself too plus the extra cash is most welcome!"

When gorgeous Amy taps Daryl on his shoulder, Alex slips forward watching her batting her long eyes lashes to an oblivious Daryl. And when she purposefully bends over into her window to fish something out of the glove compartment, wiggling her bottom to draw attention - Alex practically dribbles from his mouth.

"Hubba, hubba, hubba!" Axel's jaw was on the floor when he nearly sees right up that little denim mini skirt.

He _knows_ Daryl must have caught an eyeful but when he looks up, Daryl's over at the driver's side opening the door with Amy now standing beside the passenger's side drumming her nails on the hood of her car with a pouting frown for the lack of Daryl's attention towards her and her blatantly obvious flirting.

"He's crazy!" Axel practically screeches pulling at his red fluffy hair not believing Daryl had the perfect opportunity to get up close and personal, the fact that Amy wanted him to look and he didn't was killing him.

"What single hot bloodied man wouldn't, what man wouldn't PERIOD!" He complains pacing back and forth not believing what was happening before his eyes.

Daryl could've gotten lucky tonight, could be buried deep into Amy but Daryl was more interested in the body of the car than the hot young body available for him to work on. "Ahhhhhhhh!" He screams into his hands for a wasted and missed opportunity. Opportunities like that never come around for a guy like him but for Daryl, women threw themselves at him but he just didn't give an iota of a care - Axel was confused .com!

"Oscar, he's mad crazy lost it!" Axel bends down next to his friend pointing to Daryl "It's there for all his takin' and he don't want to even stroke it!"

"Ya really want ya face rearranged!" Oscar huffs standing up and chucking the wrench into the tool box following Axel's googly eyes to see Amy trying her damned best to catch Daryl's attention but failing miserably. Like Axel had complained, Daryl was more interested in the body of the car than the body Amy was flaunting. He felt sorry for the blonde.

Oscar had to admit, if Amy was sniffing around him, he'd find the temptation too irresistible to resist, she was every man's dream but he was no Daryl Dixon.

They both watch Daryl pat the back of Amy's car as it edges out the workshop and speeds off out of there, clearly crestfallen and humiliated. When Daryl turns around, Oscar dips back under the bonnet of the car he was working on whilst Axel rummages through the tool box busying himself.

When The Big Boss Man comes out, he asks Daryl if he could change his son's punctured tyres at the side of the road and he was on it straight away even though it was nearly time for him to clean up and head home.

* * *

Rick was sat on the bonnet of his parked cruiser in a slip road with bushes either side of him. Shane was up front monitoring the speed of passing cars with their new laser radar speed detector gun. He was itching to give a speeding ticket but was unsuccessful.

"This here is bullshit!" Shane complains as people wave as they drive by.

"Shane, nobody's gonna speed knowin' we're sat right where they can see us!" Rick says waving back to Carol and Sophia and unable to tear away the smirk dancing over his lips.

"I'm watching ya Sophia!" Shane warns when she pokes her tongue out "Pray the wind don't blow girl!" He advises walking behind Carol's moving car.

"Deputy Walsh, your flies are undone!" Sophia shouts back.

Shane's head bops down to look and he hears Sophia giggling like a hyena "Huhuh! Made ya look, made ya poop!"

Rick can't help the laugh that erupts out of his mouth watching Shane being teased by a kid and nearly getting run over by Jackie who tells him to get out of the way and stop being a nuisance.

"Jeez, no respect for the badge!" Shane complains plonking himself down beside Rick pretending to shoot Jackie's butt with his laser radar speed detector gun.

"What d'ya expect, you let a pair of boobs talk themselves out of a speeding ticket and harass the innocent law abiding citizens!" Rick scoffs watching people going about their days.

"Did you see those boobies?" Shane asks grinningly and squeezing the air with his fists.

And Shane was off rambling on about his favourite topic. Rick drops his face into his hands and groans into them. He could kick himself, wishing he never opened his mouth but it was too late. He sighs looking to his side over towards the boulevard of shops. He sees there's a 50% off sale at Tillies and Millies, Lori's favourite shop. He was thinking of dropping in and getting Lori something special for New Years and then he cocks his head to the side when he sees someone he didn't think he would see so soon.

"What are we lookin' at?" Shane asks tilting his head to the side in the same manner and his eyes jump out of his eye sockets with a big hungry grin when he sees her. "I think I have me a hot date for New Years, come to daddy!"

Just as Shane gets up, Rick jumps grabbing hold of the back of Shane's shirt, and before Shane realises what's happening, he finds himself flat on his back on the bonnet of the cruiser staring up at the sky.

"She's off limits!" Rick warns pressing his arm across Shane's collarbone.

"Off limits?!" Shane asks, voice strangled confused but now he wanted the girl more that she was off limits, he thrashes out and Rick was on him holding him down.

They both turn their heads when they hear gleeful laughter. Beth was jumping up and down, clapping her hands, twirling around as she goes. They smile watching her wondering why she was so happy, there weren't many people around so high spirited.

Daryl rolls a tyre towards the parked SUV whistling as he goes. He looks towards the boulevard of shops when he hears laughter and when he sees Beth, his lips lift up his cheeks into a wide smile watching her. Lost in the moment, he trips over losing his footing and finds himself entangled and rolling down the hill.

Shane and Rick watch Daryl zooming passed inside a tyre. They look at each other, jump and set off running after him. When they round the corner, they find Daryl upside down against the tree with the wheel spinning around in circles.

When Daryl stops seeing chirping birds, he squints up into the sun to see to two hazy figures. When their faces come into clear vision, he groans. It was none other than Rick and Shane hovering over him with stupid smirking faces and now they were laughing, laughing really hard that they need to hold one another up for support.

"Fuck you!" Is all that comes out of Daryl's mouth knowing he was never going to live that down. The two giggling idiots who witnessed that happen, were going to bring it up every time they wanted to embarrass him.

"Dangerous and reckless driving, speeding, public nuisance and I could go on roomie!" Shane teases holding his laser radar speed detector gun.

"Don't call me that!" Daryl warns grumpily until he looks past Rick's legs to see Beth crossing the road, he wasn't grumpy anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Thanks for reading, the follows and comments on the last chapter :)

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters

Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors. Thoughts in Italics

* * *

 **Touched by an Angel**

 **Chapter 5**

* * *

With her ear pressed up against the door, Lori tries desperately to listen in on the conversation taking place between Rick and Daryl.

Her mum called to confirm they had returned from their cruise and will be on Friday's flight from Kentucky to Atlanta. Rick would pick them up from the airport, he had booked the day off because she had a million things to do to prepare for their week long stay and not forgetting, organising her and Rick's annual New Year's Party. It was their fifth year hosting New Year's where select friends, work colleagues and neighbours were invited. It was also the first year her parents would join in the festivities with them so she wants to make the day even more special, memorable and she needed the guest room vacated as soon as possible.

"Tell him Rick!" She repeats between gritted teeth.

She desperately needed Daryl out the room in order for her to get in and decontaminate. He'd been living in there for six months and she's only really thrown a vacuum around the carpet every so often because Daryl didn't like anyone poking around his stuff. Plus, once when she thought he wasn't home, she went in to clean and grab dirty laundry only to find him passed out and half naked on the floor with a picture of Rosita by his side. She'd never forget when he cracked open an eye to find her lingering over him and invading his personal space, the look of annoyance - especially at a time he wanted to be alone. He was broken-hearted, angry at the world and feeling sorry for himself.

Frustrated not able to hear anything with Rick's mumblings and Daryl's grunts, wondering what was taking so long, Lori does something she swore she wouldn't do anymore. She grabs hold of the door knob, gets down onto her knees and looks through the keyhole only to see Rick's jeaned ass blocking the view.

"Urghhh Rick, move!" she huffs watching him, telepathically ordering his ass to move but he stands there in his Rick way with his ass telling her – _look at me_.

"Mom-myyyy!" Judith calls trying not to trip as she struggles tugging Carl's old Harry Potter Cape across the landing.

Lori jumps out of her skin and before she knows what's happening, the door swings open and she finds herself being dragged along into the room with it.

Internally she curses, closing her eyes and biting down on her lower lip. Ridiculous as it sounds, she wished she could throw Carl's cape over to become invisible because she can feel two sets of eyes burning into her head. She lifts her head up to find both Rick and Daryl looming over her sprawled out across the carpet. Her eyes flick from Daryl who wasn't giving anything away to Rick who looked at her in disbelief shaking his head not believing she was eavesdropping and worse, caught at it by Daryl who valued his privacy and hated it when people pried.

"I, um.." Lori fumbles for words, fidgety and looking guilty, she casts her eyes down on the ground not knowing how to explain this awkward situation.

Just as she sits up, Judith steps in front of her, right in her face. This was never good, she didn't need this right now.

"Mommy pying?" Little Judith innocently asks Lori at eye level with those big round eyes you couldn't get angry at.

Judith Meredith Grimes got her and Rick into a lot of trouble since she started speaking in sentences – she was at that age where her mouth didn't have a filter and why would she, she's a baby. Rick's commented more than a few occasions, all under his breath "Like mother like daughter!"

"No!" Lori answers abruptly "Mommy's not spying!" She laughs as if it was an absurd thing to do, taking a glance up at Rick who was pinching the bridge of his nose to Daryl who was just standing there, now with folded arms watching.

"The oven!" She says louder than it was meant to have come out, looking towards the stairs wanting any reason to escape.

"Oben? ookies and cakes?" Judith asks hopefully clasping her little hands together and if her eyes could get any bigger, they'd take off into the air.

She didn't like feeding Carl and Judith sugary treats which she called junk, opting for healthier snacks like fruit, raw veg sticks with hummus, nuts and berries and yoghurts etc and on the days when she thought they deserved them, she spoiled them with her famous homemade pancakes not cookies and cakes.

"I'm up for some cookies and cakes!" Daryl's gravelly voice speaks for the first time, lips twitched up at the corners and winking down to Judith when she swings her head back and up to look at him. She flashes Daryl her gaped teeth smile, he was now set for the day.

Lori takes a deep and heavy breath in and breathes out nodding with a frown.

Judith claps her hands in excitement "ookies and cake! ookies and cake" she squeaks "Yay, I lub ookies and cake!" she begins to bounce over to Rick and hug his legs - he ruffles her soft hair.

"Wanna take your Uncle Daryl down and watch cartoons?" Rick suggests needing to talk with Lori.

"K!" Says Judith bopping her head up and down taking Daryl's hand and pulling him to carry her and Carl's cape down the stairs.

He swipes Judith up and throws her over his shoulder before stomping down the stairs making Judith giggle when he smacks her diaper and makes squishy noises with his mouth.

Both Lori and Rick smile. Daryl was great with Judith and Carl and they always wondered if he'd have kids of his own. He'd always scrunch up his nose that kids were nasty little things when anyone broached the subject. But deep down they both knew and had observed - Daryl wanted to be a dad more than anything but was trying to kid himself into believing he didn't. They knew he didn't think he was good enough – all those negative thoughts were rooted from his messed up childhood.

As if both knew what the other was thinking, they look at one another and share a look.

It was important for Daryl to meet someone special who could change his life and make the impossible possible. There was a certain girl that they've both taken a keen interest in because something had seemed to have shifted in Daryl in that movie theatre when she unexpectedly dropped into his life. They'd spied him sneaking looks at some sort of wrapper in his pocket and caught him smiling to himself when he thought nobody was watching. She was watching, Rick was watching and even Carl was watching when he beat Daryl every night on the PS4 which rarely happened.

Lori was drumming her nails into carpeted ground trying to figure out who the girl was. Rick had told her; he'd seen her in town for a brief moment but couldn't find out who she was, where she's from and if she was sticking around because Daryl had gotten himself caught up in a rolling tyre which she would have paid to have seen.

Rick watches Lori's brain working overtime " _You_ baked cookies and cakes?" He asks smiling, knowing the answer.

"You know I didn't!" Lori glowers in response, getting to her feet and dusting off her knees when she hears the teasing tone in Rick's voice.

"So?" She asks stepping forward and looking Rick dead in the eyes. She really didn't want to be the bitch and throw Daryl out so she hoped her husband manned up and told Daryl. It's not as if he'd be on the street, just living at Shane's and with all the space he wanted. Daryl just had to agree.

Rick holds out his hand to calm down, "Before I could bring it up, he said it was time to move on and that he's already made permanent living arrangement. He's moving out tomorrow!" Rick confirms and was a little dejected. Having Daryl around became a norm, it was great having a guy around who he got on well with. And it was comforting knowing Daryl was there during the nights watching over and protecting his family when he wasn't there and working those dreaded night shifts.

"Oh my god!" Lori says covering her smiling mouth and upon seeing the sullen look on Rick's face, she stops and hugs him saying she was sorry.

"He had to move on sooner or later I know, jus' gonna miss him not bein' around here." He sighs taking comfort in Lori's arms, resting his head against hers.

"You might not believe it, but I will miss him too!" Lori reveals.

Rick pulls back his head and gives Lori a doubtful look.

"Honest to god!" She swears. "Daryl's always been good with Carl and Judy, they love him. And even though he won't be living here, he's family and he's welcome to come over." She says sincerely "And play with you," she adds grabbing Rick's shirt collar and pulling him up close, "but not when we're playing okay?!" She says giving Rick a pointed look, they needed to get them back on track.

A smile graces Rick's face, Lori smiles back making him grin. They share a quick kiss before Daryl and Judith yell up the stairs, they're hungry. Rick groans pulling away, they both look over the bannister to see Daryl and Judith standing at the bottom of the stairs staring up at them, both holding their hips clearly not happy to be waiting.

"Wherever you've hidden your cookie stash, get them out so I can put them into the oven." Lori says smiling down to Judith who was now twirling around in Carl's cape which Daryl helped put on.

"Why put them in the oven?" Rick asks watching Judith chasing the tail of the cape and giggling when it runs away from her grasp.

"So I can make the illusion that I've baked them for Judith's benefit and Daryl's!" She says facing Rick and rolling her eyes when he pulls his eyes off of Judith to find Lori holding out her hand waiting for him.

"I'll bring them down." Rick grins broadly not wanting Lori to find out where he stashes all the junk that he, Carl and Judith snack on when she goes out on the town with her girlfriends once a month. Those nights, they'd kick back playing video games, watching movies, ordering take out and snacking on forbidden treats.

"One of these days, I'll find them!" Lori vows spanking Rick's bottom before walking down the stairs.

"Challenge accepted!" He shouts back, scratching his jaw and looking back into Daryl's room. He was going to have to find a new hiding place now that Daryl was moving out and Lori would have access to the guestroom 24/7.

* * *

Running out of her en-suite in her underwear and bouncy ponytail, Beth grabs her outfit and starts pulling on her blouse. She jumps up and down into a pair of black skinny stretch trousers and has to flop back on her bed to wiggle down into them and pull them up over her bottom to around her hips. She hasn't worn these particular trousers in a while and realises she's put on a few pounds sitting around the house eating her mamma's luscious rich cooked meals and sinful snacks. She didn't have time to worry about the few pounds at that moment, she was running later than she would like. She breathes in, tucks her shirt in, zips up the zip and buttons up the button.

"Haha!" She squeals, cycling her legs in the air and doing the scissor splits to make sure she can move, and she can and they don't tear "Wohooo!"

Rolling off the bed, she crawls around the floor looking for her Patent-leather Slingback Pumps. She looks under her bed and over at the shoe rack in her walk-in closet. "Where are you Jimmy Choo?"

She frowns scanning the floor, tossing her discarded clothes up in the air to see if they hadn't gotten buried in the mess she made last night trying to find the perfect first day at work outfit. There wasn't a particular uniform - just smart, chick and fashionable and you couldn't go wrong with a gorgeous white blouse, black trousers and sassy pair of heels. The sales assistants looked glamorous and chick when she walked into Millies and Tillies and she wanted to look just as nice. She sighs not knowing where her shoes had disappeared off to and then she sees Pugsy their Pug hiding under her dressing table.

That always meant one thing when he hid under there.

When she crawls over and practically screams when she sees Pugsy chewing at the heel of her Jimmy Choo's. He had a fetish to chew every pair of her nicest footwear and that's why she usually runs around in boots and sneakers all the time, and had to hide her best up on the shelves. These were a rare and expensive birthday present from Shawn and Maggie that gave her confidence when she walked and she needed that confidence today.

"Nooo Pugsy! Let go!" She pleads playing tug of war and when she finally snatches her shoe back, she goes flying back into her walk-in closet with a thud "Ouuwwch!"

Pugsy stares at the mess and when Beth emerges like Frankenstein out from beneath the mountain of clothes and purses that had once been neatly stacked up on the shelves, he scrambles out of the room with his tongue hanging out nearly tripping over the curl of the rug but tripping Glenn up instead as he goes.

"Ouch!"

Beth limps over and helps Glenn up.

"My Jimmy Choo's!" She pouts rubbing her backside and showing Glenn "Maggie and Shawn got me these from London a few years ago and I've only worn them a handful of times!" She almost wants to cry. She had been having a tough time at college, missed the family holiday to London as she needed to catch up with coursework so when Shawn and Maggie went to visit her one weekend when they returned, they surprised her with those fabulous Jimmy Choo's she admired in a magazine.

"Don't worry Beth," Glenn wraps an arm around her shoulder and gives her a hug, "I'll get ya a new pair!"

Beth shakes her head.

"They would cost you the price of what your monthly rent was in that share house before you moved in here." She reveals.

He almost chokes, "What? That's crazy!"

"I know, the price of fashion!" She sighs "They're really pretty but now I remember why I never get expensive designer stuff unless it's gifted, free or gifted!" She slips the shoes on and inspects them from all angles in the mirror, hoping the teeth marks weren't visible and they were!

Glenn tells her, he can hardly see the bite marks and before she could decide whether or not to wear something else, her wall clock chimes it was 8am. She rushes over to her dresser, spritzes the air and twirls around into the perfume mist as she grabs her purse and runs out her room.

"Good Luck!" Glenn calls back catching the perfume bottle, watching Beth sliding down the second set of banisters not wanting her heels to snap in her haste of running down the stairs and tripping up like she knew she would.

"Be careful!" He shouts and as if on cue, he hears a thud and Beth shouting out another "ouch" and "I'm okay!" as she limps away.

"Breakfast?" Herschel yells looking up from his newspaper when he feels a hurried gust rush past his back.

"No time daddy, see you at supper, Love y'all!" Beth calls back before the screen door slams shut with a thud, the roar of her little mini starting up with a cough and finally zooming off.

"She's super excited and wants to make an impression!" Annette replies reading Herschel's unhappy face, he still disapproved of Beth choice of work. He had hoped to have seen her sitting in his chair at the clinic.

"Personally, I think Beth's attitude's great! Now if only everyone had that same attitude!" Shawn says tearing a bite off his toast, looking at his wrist watch - they had to leave in 5 minutes. He looks at Maggie pushing her cereal around her bowl as she scoffs reading her messages on her phone, still in her PJ's and yesterday's makeup smeared around her eyes.

Herschel leans forward massaging his temple. One daughter wanting to work but not finding the right work and the other, has the perfect job but is lazy and always needed a push. He felt a massive migraine coming on.

* * *

Beth swerves into a parking space and switches off the engine. It was a fifteen-minute drive with scenic views. There was no waiting in long queues of traffic or over crowded buses or trams, she loved it. The only issues she had was the way her mini was having trouble starting up in the mornings and the stiffness in the clutch. She'd ask Shawn to take a look this evening when he got home she decides.

When she hears a tap on the window, she smiles and rolls down the window seeing it was none other than Jesus in his cycling gear and helmet.

"First day, excited?" He asks leaning into her open window.

"Definitely!"

"Sure you don't want to start in the New Year like Carrie suggested?" He asks but Beth shakes her head that it was fine, she wanted to work.

"Alright then, you're gonna be shadowing me today, hope that's okay?" He asks and Beth nods happily and gets out her car when Jesus opens the door for her.

"There's only a couple of more days left with the last of the sales stock, it will be busy and then the new stock hits the shop floor in two days where our Premier Customers get the first exclusive unveiling. It's a private launch in the evening between 7pm to 10pm. There will be champagne and appetisers and a small fashion show to kick things off. Everyone's then free to browse and shop for whatever captures their eyes." Jesus explains "You up to working that evening, you'll get a handsome bonus?"

"Yea, I'm up for it!" Beth agrees "I didn't know anythin' like this happened here in King County!" She says surprised trying to keep up with Jesus's long strides as he wheels his mountain bike towards the bike shed area.

"Neither did I until I was asked to come here from Head Quarters to help get the place back on track and hopefully help in the expansion of getting Millies and Tillies Boutiques dotted around Georgia." He shrugs.

Beth looks up at her manager. He seemed to be a really nice guy, really enjoyed his work and got on well with Mrs Wilson and the staff. He was like her right hand man from what she observed after her interview. And then her mind goes back to the part where he said _get the place back on track_.

So it went off track? She wondered curiously.

There's been no mention of The Twins apart from them being away. Her mind goes into all sorts of assumptions of them being the reason the business went off track if it had and the reason why Mrs Wilson was here and not retiring or just taking a step back. She stops her mind thinking wild and bizarre thoughts and knew better than to pry. She was just glad Millie and Tillie weren't here and hoped they stay holidaying in St Tropez all through winter and up to summer which hopefully by then, she'd be employed in a Social Worker's position.

"It's ambitious and quite the business venture and I wish you all the luck, I'm sure you'll make it happen, Mrs Wilson seems to think so by putting you on the case – it's a no brainer!" Beth smiles.

Jesus gives Beth a side glance and takes in her positive smiling face. He can't help by mirror her and let out a laugh. She was a confidence booster, a little ray of sunshine and would do wonders for the company and staff morale. He was looking forward to working with Beth the few months she was there, she was a positive influence and refreshing change from the twins. His smile falters - she was kind and sweet and he knew the sweet ones could easily get walked all over if they didn't have a heads up on the environment they were stepping into. It could get hostile at times.

"This time up until New Year's Eve, things are gonna get mega crazy, people queue up at dawn to purchase the perfect outfit for the New Year's festivities and it does get pretty nasty with handbags at dawn, so if a fight erupts between shoppers, don't intervene – call Tiny or Jim, they're our security guys." He informs.

"Gottit, handbags at dawn – call Tiny or Jim!" Beth repeats nodding seriously.

"…And when Millie and Tillie return after New Year's," He pauses not wanting to say more than he should but he didn't want Beth to get sucked in, used and abused the way he knows The Twins to be. "I wouldn't get too friendly and personal with them, the less time you spend with them, the better your life will be. Trust me Beth when I say - watch your back, they're not afraid to push the knife into it." He knew he said too much but he didn't want Beth to get caught up in their games.

"Gottit loud and clear - stay away from The Biatch's of KC!" She says and looks up to see Jesus's raised brow. "I went to High School with them so **_I know!_** _"_ She reaches out and pats his shoulder not to worry as they enter the building.

* * *

Daryl grabs his backpack and slips his arms through the straps, slides on his leather gloves and bundles the woolly scarf Judith and Carl had gifted to him on his birthday around his neck. It had been a long and tiring day but a good day.

It was 5pm and he was knocking off early because Lori had organised a family dinner for his last night at her and Rick's place. Lori was making a pot of chillie and wild rice, Judith and Rick were going to be baking the cookies and cakes that never made it to the table this morning. Rick couldn't find his secret stash thinking he must have eaten them at the weekend.

Daryl smirks – he ate all of Rick's secret stash the night previous but Rick didn't need to know it was him.

He throws his leg over his bike and settles down on the seat. He had already packed his bags, didn't have much but he wanted to get back and give his bedroom a once over. He wasn't ashamed to admit - he didn't mind living under the same roof as Lori Grimes. There were times when he thought she was the dumbest, hypocritical bitch that walked the earth but then he couldn't forget the help and support she'd given him when he was at his lowest. She tolerated his bullshit and mood swings for the six months he squatted in her guestroom, the first month he didn't wash, bath or shave. It wasn't okay but she put up with him until she couldn't handle the stench that followed him anymore, so Carol came over and blasted him with the garden hose because she could apparently smell him from across the street which Shane says was bullshit because he reckoned Carol had a thing for him because she was always calling him Pookie.

Before he kick-starts the engine, the fairy lights from Millies and Tillies window display catches his eyes. He watches people going in and out with big happy smiles on their faces. He's never been in a place like that, never felt comfortable enough or had reason to but there was a sale sign up and maybe he could afford something new and fancy for Lori to say thanks for everything.

Daryl switches his bike off and makes his way across the street.

Just as he reaches the walkway, he slows his pace looking in through the window as he walks. It looked bright, colourful and classy - nothing like the shops he usually ventures into. He stops and stares at the display for the longest time debating as to whether or not to go in or just go to the garage and buy a bunch of their cheap flowers. The florists were shut, Carol shut up shop precisely at 5pm. He was about to turn around the way he came until he felt something soft and tingly land on his nose and then another and another.

When he crosses his eyes, he sees fluffy white stuff like tiny shards of cotton candyfloss. His lips switch up at the sight and at the feeling.

"Better late than never!" He says quietly watching the snowflakes dancing around his head as they begin to come down.

When he uncrosses his eyes, the twinkle of her eyes and the smile dancing on her lips catches him off guard.

On their own accord, Daryl's booted feet take him up to the window. His nose is pressed up against the glass watching her. Right there, right in front of him with just a sheet of thick glass between them. She was smiling and talking to a bunch of rich classy looking women and it appeared she had them eating out the palm of her hands as they admire the dress she was presenting to them and clapping like seals when she magics out of thin air, a pair of sparkly shoes that went with the sequences on the flirty little party dress. All he can think right now was how good she would make that little dress and sparkly shoes look than any one of those women who were pulling out their credit cards. He thought she looked more than gorgeous in the outfit she was wearing.

Watching her smiling, brings a smile to his lips.

He doesn't know how long he's been standing there like that, gawking but Tiny is standing right beside him and he knows it's Tiny because he can smell strawberry laces.

"Jesus, ya kinda light for not so light a person!" Daryl snaps looking up at his side at the 6ft8 300lb security guard for sneaking up on him.

"Why, thanks Daryl!" Tiny beams "lost 2lb this week - strawberry lace?" He offers.

Daryl takes a lace and begins to twist it around his finger needing something to do as a distraction. He can't help but take a quick glance back into the boutique and his glance lingers longer than it should watching the blonde ponytail bouncing through the racks of clothes.

"What's got your fancy?" Tiny asks staring in the direction Daryl was staring.

There was nothing there apart from dresses. It was the women's department and there were two women in their direct line of sight now. One was Jessie Anderson and the other was the new sweet girl Beth trying to talk Jessie out of buying something far too revealing for a mother with a teenage son, "Aha!"

Daryl's eyes slide over to the side when he heard the noise, sees Tiny's eyes widen like a light bulb just switched on.

"Aint nothin' got my fancy!" Daryl answers gruffly.

Tiny studies Daryl all worked up and getting defensive. He was tickled to see Daryl's cheeks pinking by the second. He never knew Daryl could blush and when he asks, Daryl grumbles cussing, turning away whilst shoving the balled up strawberry lace into his mouth and tries to chew and just as he does, he watches Beth's head turn and now she was staring directly ahead of her, directly at him.

They hold one another's gazes and she smiles shyly like she had at the movie theatre. She waves his way.

Daryl looks behind him. There was nobody there. And then he realises it's him who she's waving at and not anybody else. Imagining she had caught him watching her, Daryl nearly swallows the balled up lace and starts to cough, wheeze and then he was full on choking because it felt like a golf ball was lodged in his throat and gotten stuck there. His face grows red.

Before Daryl knows what's happening, he feels somebody checking his airway. It was clearly blocked and then he feels a few sharp blows between his blades, then abdominal thrusts and then arms wrapping around his waist bending him forward. With the hands right above his belly button he realises then, the Heimlich Manoeuvre was being performed on him and that's when the strawberry lace the size of a golf ball comes shooting out and landing on the fresh patch of snow on the ground.

"You okay?"

Daryl can hear the concern and relief from the voice of what he thinks is of an Angel. When he looks up from his crouched position, he sees her eyes staring back at him. And in slow motion, a warm smile tugs at her mouth as her face lights up to see he was okay and all he can do is smile back as he stands up.

"I am now!" He says with a blush, rubbing his throat and neck.

There was a moments silence and they stand there shyly. Beth sneaks a look up at him and thinks he was even more handsome than the first time she saw him.

"I'm Beth Greene!" She introduces holding out her hand, breaking the silence. "We didn't catch each other's names the other night." She says sweetly, not sure where this sudden confidence had come from but she was rolling with it.

"Daryl, Daryl Dixon." He replies back trying to keep himself in check, this was better than he thought it was going to be if he forgot about the choking part.

He doesn't hesitate to take her hand and shake it. Upon their hands touching, it was like electricity shooting back and forth between their bodies. Neither knew how their bodies had become so huddled up close together.

"Thanks for comin' to save me!" Daryl says ever so softly, he doesn't think he's ever sounded like that before.

When he looks down into those big round blue eyes as they look up into his shining, he knew then he was lost to them.


	6. Chapter 6

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I'm glad I logged onto FF today as my stories only had 2 days left before they got deleted.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters

Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors. Thoughts in Italics

* * *

 **Touched by an Angel**

 **Chapter 6**

* * *

Daryl was staring down into the glass counter, staring intently at nothing in particular. His mind was reeling, replaying his chocking episode. It wasn't how he imagined meeting the girl who had been occupying his mind from the moment she fell out of the sky and into his lap. Internally he cringes and calls himself the dumbest dumbass to have walked the earth.

 _Chocking - chocking on strawberry laces!_

If he had died, that's what would be documented on his Death Certificate. His face twists, wincing at the thought. He can just hear Merle laughing - laughing like a Hyena and retelling the story whenever anyone asked how he died. Not a hunting accident, not wrestling with a grizzly bear or one of those dangerous daredevil road trips he takes once a year on his Harley but death by strawberry laces. He can only imagine what his hunting and hard-core riding buddies would say!

And then there were Shane and Rick. A cold shiver ran down his spine. The last stupid thing that had happened to him, Shane and Rick were both bawled over in fits of uncontrollable laughter, holding one another up for support. If they witnessed how much of a clumsy dork he's becoming and that _over a girl_ , he'd never hear the end of it. Rolling down the street, caught up in a tyre was bad enough - chocking on some strawberry laces whilst drooling over a girl who doesn't even know who he is was just plain sissy. He's supposed to be hard-core, a tough son of a bitch not a pansy he reminds himself.

An imagine of Shane and Rick Bobbleheads snorting out loudly with pink laces coming out their mouths bounce their way into his mind. He shakes his head side to side which only makes Bobblehead Shane and Rick laugh out louder.

"These are newly in!"

When he lifts his head, Shane and Rick Bobbleheads pop out of mind as he watches the pretty blonde bouncing towards him on the opposite side of the counter. She had a pleased look spread across her face and she couldn't have looked sweeter. He couldn't help but stare.

"We have many colours and designs but I think these are really pretty!" She continues whilst aligning the scarves along the top side of the counter for him to take a better and closer look.

Nearly getting caught out watching her at work, Daryl lowers his lashes when she looks up. He was praying that the line of saliva travelling down the side of his lip goes unnoticed but more importantly, doesn't drop down and splash on the counter because that could be painfully awkward.

 _What's wrong with you!_ he asks himself confused.

"They're 100% pure silk and every girl would love such a gift!" Beth was explaining with genuine admiration, "A scarf always glams up a simple outfit and these scarfs are really, really gorgeous!"

Daryl eyes the scarves whilst his pretty sales assistant babbles on enthusiastically. He knows jack-shit about woman's clothing and even if he doesn't have a clue what she's raving on about - he trusts her opinion. Men didn't have that many choices of colour and patterns, the only colours he went around in were black, grey, brown, khaki and the occasional denim blue and there were so many shades of pinks, mauves and oranges staring up at him, he wasn't even sure which colour Lori liked or disliked.

 _Shit!_ Is all he can decide.

Standing on the opposite side of the counter, Beth sneaks a glance up and appraises her handsome customer. He was tall, dark and handsome with a muscular physic which in comparison to her petite frame, could engulf her. Thanks to the heating which was cranked up, her handsome customer who she's come to know as Daryl, had peeled off his winter jacket and placed it on top of his backpack on the floor. Her eyes move to his broad shoulders. He definitely worked out. She can see the outline of defined muscles and his muscular arms beneath the shirt he was wearing. She can't help but imagine what it might feel like to be enveloped in those strong manly arms. Zach definitely didn't have arms and biceps like the ones stretched out in front of her. Those were working hands, hands with experience she muses as they lay sprayed out on the glass counter before her.

"Miss?"

Startled, Beth snaps out of her reverie when she hears someone calling for her. Just as she tears her eyes off of Daryl's hands, she looks up just as Daryl does and they're both staring back at each other. She can feel the heat rising up her neck which would most definitely settle over her cheeks. His gaze was direct and intense, and she suddenly feels light headed because nobody's ever looked at her in the way he was looking at her.

 _"_ _Miss!"_

They both turn their heads in the direction of the demanding tone belonging to the man standing at the far end of the counter in an expensive looking suit.

"I'll be with you in a moment sir!" She answers sweetly, throwing a smile to the man to inform him she was aware he was there and would be with him once she's dealt with the customer she was presently serving.

But the man just huffs in exasperation, pulling his leather gloves off his hands and tossing them down on the counter along with his hat. He started drumming his fingers on the glass, clearly put out that he had to wait.

Beth scans the department floor, searching for one of her colleagues to appear and the two she spots closest were busy with their own customers.

 _Shoot!_

Daryl watches the sweet joy and hope drop from Beth's face. She was starting to get a little flustered and it was her first day. He frowns as he follows her gaze, wanting to help her but not knowing how. The boutique was buzzing with customers, it was that crazy time of the year when Tillies and Millies have their big sale and let shoppers have a glimpse of their new lines for the next season. Women of all ages just went bonkers for a deal and the husbands and boyfriends who dared to step in just broke down in tears from the stress - hence the reason he didn't like shopping and shopping in fancy places like Tillies and Millies. It was too busy for his likings. He could see there wasn't anyone free to help behind the counter and the finger tapping had grown annoyingly impatient. His eyes shoot towards the noise wanting nothing more than to snap the jerk's fingers off and feed them to him.

"Go on." He says softly instead.

Beth turns to stare at him and he gestures towards the jerk with his head with the slightest smile.

"But," She stutters looking down at the scarves and then back up at him.

"It's okay," He insists "gotta pick a colour and pattern anyways." He says slouching forward and nearly slipping flat on his face when he sees the price tag.

 _Shit on a stick! I like Lori but not that much!_

Beth catches the look on Daryl's face which told her, the scarves were way out of his price range and he was instantly disappointed. She felt terrible but it lasts but a second because she remembers there was one pretty scarf left in the sales, a third of the price which was currently wrapped around the mannequin's neck at the window display. Once she dealt with the waiting customer, she'd bring it over and show him – she could wipe off the disappointment from his face and make him smile again.

"Once I've dealt with that gentleman, I'll be back and this time you won't be disappointed!" She promises reaching over and placing her hand atop of his.

Like the time before, it felt like electricity had passed through into his body and sent off shockwaves all over. Things were coming back to life that had been dormant for some time. How could he be disappointed when he felt so alive, more alive than he's ever felt, and it was just a touch but the impact was unexplainable. When she withdraws her hand, he wants to latch hold but she had taken off before his reflexes could work, leaving him watching her go. He slumps forward breathing heavily not knowing what was happening to him, he's never felt this much intensity with a person so quickly not even with Rosita who was the love of his life.

Guilt hits him at full force and before he turned around, picked up his belongings and got out of there, Jesus appears. He edges a scarf forward indicating he was ready to pay forgetting the price, forgetting about the girl who almost sneaked passed his barrier to a place he vowed nobody would ever be permitted to go.

* * *

After handing the nicely wrapped package and receipt to the man who had taken his time browsing and asking a dozen questions, Beth waves him off with her award winning smile and rushes to the window display and does a little celebratory dance to see it was still there. Rushing back to where she left Daryl, she hops over Noah who was crouched down on his hands and knees taking down the last of the decorations and practically bumps into another mannequin. She has to jump to catch it before it toppled over onto the stand of designer glasses, the whole time squealing in horror and relief praying neither Jesus or Mrs Wilson were watching and they had been watching her all day.

"Nice save!" Noah calls out watching her run across to the other side of the store.

She was out of breath and sweaty, clumsiness was second nature to her but she made it in one piece at the speed she was going. Straightening down her blouse and fixing her hair in place, she scurries over to where she had left Daryl but the area was empty – there was no Daryl. And then she hears the roar of what sounded like a bike. When she looks ups, she sees Daryl riding off on his Harley.

"Nu-hoooo!" She moans in dismay with a big frowning pout, holding out the scarf she promised to show him and buries her face into it.

All she got was his name and she wanted to find out more. He was here one minute and gone the next, she wasn't sure when she'd see him again.

"Daryl Dixon," Jesus says appearing over her shoulder out of nowhere making her nearly jump out of her skin.

"35...ex-marine…was the best in his unit until a setback in life, now a mechanic who works at the garage down the street," He adds watching Daryl go.

"He does?" Beth asks surprised and now smiling.

Jesus nods and seeing the look in his newest employee's face, he didn't want her to get her hopes too high but more importantly he didn't want her to get hurt. He knows he shouldn't but he does. He reveals some significant details which he thinks are significant before she sets her sights and heart on a guy whose heart still belonged to someone else and everyone knew it.

"He came out of a long term relationship. Her name's Rosita. They met in the army and were the perfect match but then she left him at the altar, that was six months ago."

Beth's smile dropped in an instant. She looks at Jesus seeing he was serious and then looks down at the scarf in her hand not knowing what to say or how to react. She wanted to ask what happened but didn't at the same time.

"She ran off with one of her commanding officers, this really loud cocky schmuck and well, Daryl ain't been the same since," He reveals.

"That's awful!" Comes out of Beth's mouth in a whisper, clutching the scarf to her chest.

Jesus reaches over and places a comforting hand on Beth's shoulder, seeing the upset look on her face.

"I just advise, be cautious-"

"I'd better get this back to the window display and then help Noah." Beth says forcing a smile on her face, unable to stand there any longer feeling the way she was feeling about someone she barely knew, feeling ridiculous now about her silly crush that she scurries away as fast as she can.

Jesus watches Beth go. He sighs, knowing he could have handled that better than he had. He wished he'd kept his mouth shut but couldn't. Beth was sweet and kind and Daryl was the opposite, very temperamental when he wanted to be, mean even and he didn't want Beth to be the rebound girl and be on the receiving end of Daryl Dixon's temper and harsh tongue which he was very famous for.


	7. Chapter 7

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Thanks for reading, the follows and comments. This is a very short chapter on Daryl.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters

Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors. Thoughts in Italics

* * *

 **Touched by an Angel**

 **Chapter 7**

* * *

It was dark, cold and unusually quiet when Daryl stepped onto the Grimes's porch. Usually all the lights were on, cooking aroma would be wafting in the air and Lori would be yelling at the top of her lungs at Carl to get off the computer and set the table before Rick got home.

 _They all must be out_ is all he could think looking up at the house.

He lets out a disappointed sigh. Tonight was his last night there and he would have liked to have sat round the table with everyone one last time, but it wasn't to be.

To avoid the family room, he decides to take the quickest route to his bedroom via the back entrance of the house. When he reaches the kitchen door, he twists his key into the lock but freezes when the creaking of the cat flap opens. His face twists in confusion. Rick and Lori didn't have a cat. If they did, well then it was a well-kept secret - the cat flap had been there since they purchased the house years ago but Lori had a zero pet policy as she was allergic to them and Rick never got around to sealing the flap up. Cocking his head downwards, he watches cautiously and to his amusement, a little head pops out.

"Hey, asskicker!" Daryl says staring down.

Little Judith startled, turns her head and gapes up at him towering above her with her mouth wide open.

"Whatcha doin' down there Pipsqueak? Ya know ya not 'posed to be stickin' ya head out the hole, right?" Daryl asks as he crouches down, a smile dancing over his lips. "Cat gotcha tongue huh?" He asks when the normally chatterbox Judith just stares blankly up at him.

Judith does the first thing that comes to her mind, she wrinkles her nose and purrs a "Meooooooooow!" into the air like a wolf howling up at a full moon before disappearing back through the flap "Byeee!"

Daryl snorts watching the flap swing back and forth. Judith was cute as a button and his best girl, she can put a smile on his face whatever mood he's in. She was always getting up to no good and some of the stuff that comes out of her mouth is just as amusing as some of the stuff she does. Judith was the essence of innocence and pure sunshine on a rainy day and a right little asskicker when her mood swung that way – she was a genuine interesting little character.

Curiosity gets the better of him when he hears a bang coming from inside the house. Daryl takes a peak through the flap to see Lori and Carl crouched down behind the couch in the lounge playing tug-of-war over the Game Boy with Judith running around in circles in her fairy-costume chanting toddler gibberish with Rick in his uniform crawling around on all fours trying to grab hold of her, misses and bumps head first into the coffee table. He then hears Shane's bellowing laughter as Rick tries hard not to cuss whilst yelling at Shane to shut up, followed by Judith repeating Rick's "Imma kick ya ass ya asshole!" and then Lori scolding Rick in the background which only makes Shane laugh louder which earns him a massive "SHUSHHHHHH!" from everyone.

"Why's Daryl get a surprise party, he's only movin' a couple of blocks away into my place, he ain't emigratin' to England!" Shane could be heard complianing.

Daryl scoffs warmly, he was going to miss all the daily crazy madness of The Grimes. He hoped they wouldn't mind him coming over once in a while because even though it was crazy living here at times, it was a nice kind of crazy. And now that he was leaving, he was only coming to realise how much he was going to miss them and miss out. He wished he had been a bit more involved with everyone because looking back, he kept himself to himself when everyone always tried to include him. He felt like an insensitive ass and promises to make an effort in the future.

Unlocking the door, he makes his way into the kitchen and grabs a couple of vol-au-vents as he drops his backpack on top of the counter.

"Surpise!" Judith greets up at Daryl under the arch between the kitchen and living room, she reaches out and Daryl scoops her up before she trips.

"Who we surprising?" Daryl asks Judith knowing very well this was all for him.

"You, you silly-billy!" Judith answers wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and pressing a sloppy kiss to his cheek.

"Urghhhhh!" He groans in pretend disgust, "Ain't nobody thrown me a surprise party before!" He adds wiping his slobbered cheek on the arm of his jacket.

"Not your mommy and daddy?" Judith asks surprised.

"Nu-uh." He answers shaking his head side to side, and licking the cream-cheese off of the puffed pastry.

After a short stretch of silence, Judith pipes up happily "You can share my mommy and daddy!"

Daryl scoffs at the notion but kisses the side of Judith's head for her generosity to share her folks and her family. He flips the lights on and there they all were; Lori hissing at Carl to get off his Game Boy before he was grounded and banned from having any fun for a month whilst Rick was wrestling with Shane to stop eating all the cheese from the Cheeseboard because he was going to either sleepwalk during the night or have a nightmare like the last time when he screamed the girl from The Ring crawled out his TV and tried to get frisky with him.

They all turn to see Daryl with Judith in his arms staring at them.

 **"** **S.U.R.P.R.I.S.E!"**

* * *

Falling into bed with a full stomach, Daryl stares up at the ceiling and reflects back on the evening. He's never had a surprise party thrown for him and has never expected one but it felt strangely nice and that they had even bothered.

When he presented his thank you present to Lori, she was gobsmacked and almost fainted when she saw the expensive scarf from her favourite boutique - she had actual tears bubbling away in the corners of her eyes. Beth had been right, every girl loved a beautiful scarf and Lori hadn't stopped praising and gushing over it all night.

He looks over at the nightstand and takes hold of the card Rick and Lori gave him. He casts his eyes over the message.

 _Dear Daryl,_

 _As one door closes another one opens._

 _We're so proud of you for taking this step._

 _If you ever need any help, please let us know._

 _Wishing you all the best settling into your new home._

 _All our Love_

 _Lori, Rick, Carl_

 _and Judith_

 _xxx_

 _PS – There's always a chair at the dining table with your name on it!_

Returning the card back to the nightstand, he switches the lamp off and folds his arms beneath his head and stares up at the ceiling.

 _As one door closes, another one opens…We're so proud of you for taking this step…_

The words paying over in his head.

This could be his new start, his new beginning and maybe if he let himself, he _can_ take the next step?

Turning on to his side, Daryl cuddles his pillow and shuts his eyes. Thoughts of Beth Greene, her beautiful smile and her touch send him off into a peaceful sleep. Conscious or unconscious - deep down he knew he was ready to take the next step into the future.


	8. Chapter 8

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Thanks for reading, the follows and comments. Like the chapter before on Daryl, this is a short chapter on Beth.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters

Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors. Thoughts in Italics

* * *

 **Touched by an Angel**

 **Chapter 8**

* * *

The timer went off on the oven and Annette quickly rushes into the kitchen, drops her basket of freshly picked herbs onto the table and grabs the oven mitts. Yanking the oven door open, it releases a ghastly waft of smoke right into her face.

"Beth!" Annette coughs violently as she fans the air with one hand and reaches into the oven with the other. Retrieving the pan, she nudges the door shut with her knee and deposits the pan containing the Pineapple Upside Down Cake onto the wooden cutting board.

The sudden bang jolted Beth out from her daze. Seeing the haze of smoke around her, she curses beneath her breath and jumps up waving a tea towel under the smoke detector but it was too late, it goes off.

"Oh snap! I'm really sorry!" Beth apologises as she watches her mama rushing around like a headless chicken, opening up windows and moving her aside so she can deal with the smoke detector.

She felt useless standing there watching. When she takes a look down at the Pineapple Upside Down Cake which was meant to be for after dinner, she felt terrible as it was burnt to a crisp. The red glazed cherries were now a blazed black.

"Urghhhh!" She grumbles, smacking a hand to her forehead.

The Pineapple Upside Down Cake was a family favourite and her mama went out of her way to make it specially for her even though her mama had an endless list of jobs to do around the house and on the farm.

She had agreed to keep an eye on the cake whilst her mama did some last minute chores. _She_ had been so distracted with her thoughts, _she_ unknowingly set the temperature way too high and the timer too long. _She_ had ruined The Pineapple Upside Down Cake and most definitely the remainder of the evening.

Closing her eyes, she can just picture the looks on her daddy's, Shawn's and Maggie's faces when they come to learn there was no desert for after dinner. There was always dessert and the whole evening was going to stretch ahead with sighs and grumbles.

Being in the kitchen and helping her mama was one of her most favourite things to do. Everyone had always complimented her of how much she was the spitting image of her mother in looks, brains and flair – especially around the kitchen but here she was in the heart of the home, miserable looking, getting in the way and nearly burning it down. Right now, she was unable to concentrate and wanted nothing more than to crawl under her bed covers and not come out until she stopped feeling the way she was feeling because it was depressing.

"This is ridiculous!" She tells herself for feeling like she'd lost something she never really had. They'd only crossed each other's paths twice and exchanged a few words but more importantly, _Daryl Dixon belonged to someone else!_ She reminded herself.

At that realisation, her shoulders slump just as her heart does. She felt embarrassed, silly and incredibly stupid for allowing her head and heart to run away with her irrational mind. She lets out a sigh remembering how dreamy Daryl looked as snowflakes danced around his handsome face. Oblivious to how gorgeous he actually is; how under that hard exterior of his, there was a shyness that was so endearing, she wanted nothing more than to lean up on her tiptoes and drape her arms around his neck and cling to him, so he could wrap his arms around the small of her back and twirl her around under the moonlight sky as snowflakes danced around them.

Realising her mind was off again, she lets out a heavy sigh. She had to stop!

The sigh doesn't escape Annette's ears. She turns her attention towards her youngest. Beth had been so energetic, eager and full of excitement when she left the farm this morning but when Beth returned, something wasn't quite right - she had returned quite the opposite. Beth's smile didn't quite reach her eyes like they normally did and her spark wasn't there when asked how her first day went. She had expected Beth to be bursting and raving how great her new job was but she didn't receive that reaction. She had put it down to it being a very busy first day, learning and following new procedures and Callie Wilson was known to be a tough boss that everyone wanted to impress. But standing there and watching her daughter, she couldn't help but notice how dejected and miserable Beth looked. She steps towards and places a hand on Beth's shoulder "Honey?"

Beth eyes lift up to meet her mother's. They were warm, kind and motherly. Her mama always knew what to do and how to make her feel better.

"Oh mama!" She frowns, dropping her face into her hands. "Why does everything have to be so complicated!?"

Annette guides Beth into a seat at the old kitchen table and begins to move around the kettle station. She flips on the kettle and fishes out the dainty little cups and saucers that Beth adores.

Beth watches cupboard doors opening and closing, the laminated poster ' _Keep Calm and Put the Kettle On'_ comes into focus _._ She watches her mama like she's done a million times before. The golden tin containing the special cookies and biscuits that only came out in times like this clicks open. And within a blink of an eye, her mama had taken a seat beside her pouring two cups of tea from the tea pot and a plate piled high with chocolate chip cookies had been placed right in front of her. She takes one and scoffs it whole and goes in for another. Most people lost their appetites when feeling down, she was the opposite.

As Annette stirs two sugar cubes into Beth's tea, she watches Beth from the corners of her eyes. Knowing her daughter, she wasn't going to coax or push Beth to open up, Beth only opened up when she was ready to and not a moment sooner. She slides the cup and saucer in front of Beth and drops a sugar cube into her own tea.

Beth takes up her cup, closes her eyes and sips her sweet tea. It was like a soothing balm, instant soothing her mind and body. It was giving her a moment of peace and comfort which finally helps her to relax and open up, unburden her feelings and her disappointment that the guy she likes and who she is undoubtedly attracted to - is emotionally connected to another woman.

Annette listens to Beth without interruption or judgement. Once Beth stopped speaking and their cups were empty, Annette reached out and squeezed Beth's hand giving her comfort and show of understanding of her predicament. It was a predicament many men and women faced in life and every situation had a different outcome. Only a handful got their happily ever after, she prays Beth is one of them because she can see her daughter was already emotionally invested in this Daryl Dixon, she can see it in Beth's eyes but she worried - what if the feelings weren't mutual.

"Where there's tea, there's always hope and a solution!" Annette says whilst pouring them both a second cup of tea.

The corners of Beth's lips turn up into a small smile. Her mama trying to find solutions always involved tea.

Annette had experienced something similar in her time, nobody but Herschel knew. He was the ear, the shoulder and a great pillar of strength. It had bonded them when they were strangers and made them partners for life. Herschel had been her saviour and she became his too.

"You've got to give it time. Be patient and be understanding. He's been through a lot, the first cut is the deepest. A friend and a shoulder to lean on is what he needs right now. Time is a great healer and if it's meant to be, it will be."

Beth observes her mama. She spoke as if with experience and before Beth could ask, the screen door creeks open. Maggie stomps in with Shawn following closely behind, both bickering which was normal and Glenn appears to play peacemaker.

Beth knew her mama is right. She had to give Daryl some time before acting on her feelings. It would be hasty, desperate and he might not even feel the same way. But more importantly, it was too soon for Daryl. He needed to get over his ex and be ready to move on. And there was no stopping _them_ from being friends she tells herself.

Jumping up feeling better, she kisses her mama on the cheek, whispering a thank you.

"I'm gonna make a yummy scrummy trifle!" She announces knowing all the ingredients were in the ladder, cupboards and fridge - it was a matter of putting it all together.


	9. Chapter 9

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** It's been a while - I've had major writers block...Happy New Year!

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the Walking Dead or its characters

Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammatical errors. Thoughts in Italics

* * *

 **Touched by an Angel**

 **Chapter 9**

* * *

Beth sat in the booth that had the best view of the town, enjoying a banana nut muffin and cup of coffee in the warmth of the bakery as she watched tiny snowflakes come down.

She had planned to get into work extra early to begin preparation for the late night unveiling of the next season's stock but the smell of freshly baked bread lured her into the bakery. As well as her mama's baking, the baked goodies at Baker's Delights were the best she'd ever tasted, she couldn't resist the detour.

Sitting there in her booth, she hadn't realised just how much she missed this place as memories of her childhood come flooding back to her; dropping into the bakery with her daddy when they ran errands across town early Saturday mornings, hanging out with Tara and Noah after school when they were allowed to run into town. Drinking coco, scoffing doughnuts and cake as they talked about everything and anything, and then there were the times when she just liked to sit there in her own company and watch the comings and goings of everyone as she penned down her thoughts, poems and songs in her journal. Those memories were just a fraction of some of the happy times she had spent there. It felt like a life time ago, yet somehow like it was only yesterday sitting there reminiscing.

Glancing around the bakery; a couple of the bulky pillars had been knocked down, a wall pushed back allowing for more seating space and a refrigerator filled with sandwiches and baguettes made from the freshly baked breads stood to one side of the shop. Apart from those extractions and minor additions, the bakery hadn't really changed all that much from when she was a little girl. Even the pictures and warm pastel colours on the walls remained the same. A fresh coat of paint every couple of years kept the place looking fresh and inviting. It was comforting even on the days when she at her lowest. After all the hustle and bustle of the city life where nobody had time for anyone and where there was a Starbucks on every street corner - it was great to be back home to the friendlier familiar faces and surroundings that were unique in their own ways.

The noise of laughter interrupts Beth's thoughts. She looks back out into the picturesque street which resembled a scene from one of those magical Christmas Cards you receive. She sighs contentedly because the view was spectacular and breath-taking.

She takes in the last of the twinkling lights and displays of the shop front windows before they came down. Christmas was nearly over and everyone was gearing up for new year's and she was ready for it. 2018 is going to be a good year. She like many others was going to set herself goals and work towards reaching them. Embracing this new positive outlook, she mentally lists her New Year's Resolutions whilst sipping her coffee and enjoying her muffin. She was going to get involved with charity work, there were a couple of worthy causes that she was interested in and she wanted to get better acquainted to the changing faces in town. Getting to know the local tradesmen and women was certainly a priority, they were a community and it was only right she communicate and interact with them.

Drumming her fingernail nails on the table, _he_ pops into her thoughts.

"He _is_ a part of the community and works in the garage down the street. Can't exactly avoid him, it would be childish to because I had a teeny tiny crush on him." Beth says quietly to herself but admits she still likes him just as much as she did yesterday.

"We could be friends and there are other men out there to date besides Daryl Dixon?" She looks out hopefully into the horizon and as if on cue, she spots Ben and Jimmy walking up across the street.

Ben had been in her year in school and Jimmy a year above. From visits and regular updates from Maggie and her mama of what was going on back home, she learnt which lucky girls Jimmy and Ben had been dating over the years and from the last update, both guys were freshly single and focusing on work. Her mama reckoned they'd finally grown up and were taking responsibility of their lives. Ben's a junior mechanic at the local garage and Jimmy's running the family grocery store which sold mainly produce from their farm and some of her mama's homemade jams, pickles and sauces.

Thinking about the past, Jimmy had always been sweet on her but she just didn't feel the same way. She liked him as a friend and couldn't imagine them anything but friends. He was sweet but too simple and timid. She needed someone who was challenging, interesting, stimulating, adventurous and spontaneous. And Ben was your typical lazy village clown who loved to flirt relentlessly with a pretty face and blatantly leered at a girl's cleavage any opportunity given. Leaning forward, she takes a closer look at the guys as they draw closer. Neither were the scrawny boys from high school anymore, they were taller and seemed to have filled out well.

"...It would appear Jimmy and Ben have matured into men and don't look half bad now that their pimples and acne have cleared up! They may have even grown up?" She smiles at the notion but her smile disappears just as quick as it appeared.

Jimmy and Ben were pushing and shoving one another across an iced up puddle. The inevitable happened - Jimmy's foot suddenly broke through the ice and disappeared ankle deep into the puddle. To heighten the fact their bodies may have matured but their brains remained the same pea size from high school - Ben grabbed Jimmy's hat and was swinging it around in circles like a cowboy, laughing like a hyena whilst Jimmy screamed blue murder and had a mini sulking session that he should have listened to his mama and wore his boots on the way to work instead of his fancy work shoes.

Beth just rolled her eyes "Same silly boys!" she mumbled returning her attention back to her coffee. She could strike those two off as boyfriend material.

The door burst open, a blast of chilly air rushed in and immediately made for Beth. She quickly releases her mug and places her warm palms against her cheeks just as her teeth begin to clatter.

"SORRRRY!" The familiar voice sang out and Beth smiles.

Tara was stomping her way over in her snow boots, waving to Old Mr Baker behind the counter as she moves. She slides into the booth opposite Beth or rather slips into her seat having lost all feelings in her feet as they were stone cold frozen from walking the ten minute walk from the Sheriff's Office.

 _"_ _DDDamn! It's cccolder than a witch's tits out thththere!"_ Tara stutters yanking off her gloves, stuffing them into her pockets and rubbing her hands together.

"It's deffo freezing out there!" Beth agrees leaning forward trying to heat her face from the steam coming up from her mug.

Seeing her friend distracted, Tara swipes Beth's muffin from out of her hand and takes a whopping bite out of the side.

"Er, hello?!" Beth laughs in disbelief, snatching back her muffin. It was a rookie mistake to get distracted with uneaten food when Tara was around.

With a mouthful of muffin, Tara mumbles an apology. She unzips her jacket and looks over at the menu's board to decide what tickled her taste buds this morning. She knew there would be a basket full of Deputy Grime's wives' low calorie cardboard muffins and rock-hard gingerbread men in the station's kitchen so she decides to go for the full fat real stuff to keep her going til mid-morning break.

"Two of your extra-large savoury breakfast muffins, one triple choc chip and a cappuccino in a cup to go please!" Tara orders when Mrs Baker appears with the coffee decanter to top up Beth's mug.

"It's a good thing your young and active!" Mrs Baker stuts with envy as her eyes narrow in on Tara's slim frame in uniform and then to her own, her protruding hips catching the corners of her eyes. "A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips and don't I know it!" she sighs miserably.

Beth looks up to find a disheartened look on the sweet old lady's face. She liked the baker's wife very much, she's known Mrs Baker longer than she can remember and Mrs Baker regularly consoled her when Tillie and Mille teased her after school.

"You've a lovely figure Mrs Baker, a lovely hourglass figure."

And Beth wasn't lying. When Mrs Baker gets dressed up in her gowns to attend the ballet or opera, her figure reminded Beth of the Organza by Givenchy perfume bottle on her mama's dressing table. She and Tara once commented they'd love to have shapely hips and bottom like Mrs Baker. Her eyes dart over to Tara for backup but when she hears a small scoff escape from Tara's mouth, she kicks Tara under the table.

"HOLY FUDGE YOU DO!" Tara exclaims trying hard not to curse from the pain shooting up her leg as her eyes begin to water. "You do! You do! Seriously you doooo!"

Unconvinced, the older lady frowns. "Marrying a baker was bound to catch up and now that it has," She breaks off wishing she hadn't spent forty years scoffing bread and croissants, "I'm practically all dough." she complains poking her finger into her side.

"Oh Mrs Baker," Beth reaches out "I'd love to have the curves that you have, there are a lot of women who would die to have the shape you have. You always look so good!"

 _"_ _Really?"_ Mrs Baker searches her cardigan sleeve, she usually kept a tissue tucked up there.

Beth nods reassuringly as she reaches for a serviette. It was that time of year a lot of women scrutinised their bodies and appearances, compared themselves to other women and sometimes she was one of them.

"She's right, ya have that 1950's look. Just like Marilyn Monroe and not many people can pull that iconic look off."

Hearing the gravelly voice from behind Mrs Baker, they all look up startled to see none other than Daryl Dixon holding out a red bandanna. Tara's scrunched up face un-scrunches in surprise and Beth just stares in awe.

Mrs Baker takes the offered bandanna confused and dabs beneath her eyes. It had been a while since she's received any flattering comments. Receiving such comments at her age and from someone whose not her husband completely throws her. And seeing the younger man staring back at her with genuine sincerity in his eyes, she was all of a sudden flustered and blushing. She was sure her cheeks were redder than the strawberry jam in the doughnuts she helped make this morning. Feeling weak at the knees, she needed to take a seat.

Smiling at Daryl, Mrs Baker takes a seat "You're just humouring an old lady!"

"No ma'am. My ma would roll in her grave if I lied ta a lady! She'd cut out ma tongue if she were alive and," Sensing three sets of eyes staring at him, Daryl's lips stop moving. He was never one to butt in with his thoughts or opinions and he wasn't sure why he had.

Daryl's eyes flick from one woman to the next and he freezes when his eyes land on Beth staring at him. He wasn't sure whether he should stare back or look away. She was just staring at him in a way he couldn't quite decipher. She hadn't blinked in all the time their eyes had locked and he had to slowly look away otherwise she would have seen right through him, seen how much he liked her, seen how much he was attracted to her even with that silly bobble hat she was wearing. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest, swears he can hear it. He begins to fidget awkwardly, he needed to get out of there. The beading of sweat forming at his temples told him to take off but his feet seemed to have fallen asleep. He was squirming, he can't remember the last time he squirmed, but it was happening beneath all three gazes fixed on him.

You could have heard a pin drop in the silence until the door bursts open again and a rowdy Ben and Jimmy stumble in.

Tara searches for something to chuck at the duo and Mrs Baker bounces in her seat to see who was letting the cold air into her bakery and allowing the heat to escape out of it.

"It's ccccolder than a witch's tits out thththere!" Ben announces loudly and makes his way to the counter with Jimmy limping closely behind, greeting an apologetic _Mornin'_ as he went.

Internally, Daryl cringed and rolled his eyes. Ben was just as bad as Merle. Yet, for the first time, he was grateful for Ben and his stupidness because it allowed him to make a quick exit from being observed the way he was being observed. He dove onto the stool at the end of the counter and busied himself staring up at the menu board.

Mrs Baker huffs at Ben's behaviour, fills the remainder of Beth's mug to the top and marches towards the duo to reprimand them before taking their orders.

Daryl takes a quick glance over his shoulder. He never imagined seeing Beth so soon, especially when he took off before she finished up with the jerky customer. He sits there playing with the sugar shaker wondering whether he should apologize and explain he had somewhere important to be. If Lori and Judith hadn't planned to throw him a surprise party, he'd have waited for her. He sees Jesus's pickup truck parked up across the street. He tenses up and then slouches forward when he remembers Jesus's advice. He tips the shaker upside down and watches the sugar spill into the cup of coffee that appeared out of thin air. Gambit had politely reminded him Beth was a sweet girl who didn't need any cause of stress or any trouble. And he had to agree with Jesus, he was trouble with a capital T and if she was smart like he knew she was, she'd stay clear of him. He felt stupid for thinking, maybe.

"Daryl Dixon ey?!"

"Wh..what?" Beth jumped in her seat looking guilty for being caught staring at Daryl.

"Don't play dumb with me Missy!" Tara smirks wagging her finger. "You can't take your eyes off of him and it seems he's having the same trouble!" Tara confirms in the worst French accent she can put on. She casts Daryl an appreciative look, she couldn't help but roam her eyes all over him. "He's a total _HOTTIE!"_ She sings "If I weren't a lesbian, I'd definitely without a doubt fu-"

Before Tara could finish off what she was so graphically going to elaborate, Beth stuffs her muffin into Tara's mouth to shut up but Tara being Tara just makes out with it.

"Oh Darrryl! Kiss me! kiss me! Owwww…ahhh...muwahhh!" Tara moans in that dreadful French accent she enjoyed teasing Beth with.

Relieved to see Daryl following Mr Baker into the kitchen, Beth hisses for Tara to stop. "I can't believe they actually let you into the Police Force, the Sheriff has met you right?" She was trying hard not laugh but fails miserably when Tara hugs herself and pretends to be making out. "You're such a jerk you know that!" She says once she catches her breath and wipes the tears off of her face. Tara pouts in thought and cheekily nods agreeing.

"But you know ya wanna so badly!" Tara winks with a smirk as she dusts off the muffin crumbs from her shirt. "

"Beth Greene?"

Beth's brows crinkle, she had hoped he wouldn't come over. "Benjamin!" She greets up at him with a smile and doesn't miss the grin nor the look of approval as Ben checks her out.

"So the rumors _are_ true! You are back, for good I hope?" Ben asks.

"Yup, I'm back." She smiles back hoping he would leave her in peace but if she knew Ben like she thought she did, he wouldn't.

"Interesting!" Ben just grins slipping down next to her, making her scoot up to give him space. "Still not bitter are you Bethy?" He asks tipping his head to the side, Beth turns her head with a questioning look on her face.

A mischievous smile takes over Ben's already mischievous face "About me turnin' ya down back in High School? Did ya ever get over me?"

"Ha!" Tara laughed out loud "If memory serves me correct, it was the other way round Benjamin Shit-stirrer!"

At that, Ben throws Tara and Beth a sheepish smile and holds up his hands for being called out on his bullshit. "So, is there anyone currently keepin' ya warm between ya sheets?" He asks leaning dangerously close to Beth waiting for her to answer.

Just as Daryl returns to his seat, his eyes shoot up to look into the mirror behind the counter to see Ben leaning into Beth and asking her a very private question that was none of Ben's or anyone else's business besides Beth's. Daryl squishes his doughnut, custard oozes out everywhere. He didn't even think whether or not Beth was seeing anyone, and felt like he was going to barf if Trout Pout's lips touched any part of Beth. To his relief, he sees Beth reaching out and pushing Ben's face back in its place. Daryl shakes off the custard smothered on his hand and the custard flies off and splashes everywhere.

What sort of question is that Crapbag?" Tara asks not surprised but still irritated that Ben still asked the most silliest questions.

Beth gestures to Tara it's ok. "Yes, as a matter of fact I have!" She answers Ben with a dreamy smile.

Ben's mouth falls open just as Daryl's doughnut falls out of his.

"Yup, he only ever seems to want one thing and what's a girl to do, but oblige?!" Beth continues with her playacting.

Not expecting to hear what he just heard, Daryl chokes on his doughnut and swats it across the counter, the crumpled mess smacks the back of Ben's neck.

Ben shrieks and when he wipes Jam off his neck, he almost gags and makes a dash for the bathroom but slips on his way on the lumpy slimy custard. "Gross a bogger!" He wrenches as he goes.

Beth was in a fit of giggles getting down to help clean the mess.

"I need to visit the ladies." Tara announces as she jumps up and makes her way to the ladies.

She decided to take matters into her own hands because Beth deserved some happiness but more than anything fun after the year she had. She wanted Beth to count in the new year with someone who clearly seemed to be smitten with her just as she was. Daryl Dixon needed a little push to get things going.

"She's super cute and totally single! She likes you and you like her, you could make sweet music together so just ask her out already before some other guy does and trust me - there are many who would love to ask out Beth Green!"

 _"_ Surprised, Daryl looks over at Beth _"...She likes me?"_

Feeling a cold blast of air hit her again, Beth looks up to see Daryl stepping out of the bakery. Disappointment shoots through her. She didn't get a chance to speak to him and if she hadn't gotten waylaid by Ben's shenanigans, she may well have had the opportunity to. She lets out a resigned sigh – she missed her chance.

Just as Daryl walks towards the garage, he looks into the bakery and catches Beth staring after him. He holds her gaze and just as he passes her window, his lips twitch up into a smile and Beth can't help but smile back. She sees the red bandanna on the table and before Mrs Baker sees it, she snatches it up and finds a folded piece of paper beneath it. Taking her seat, she quickly unfolds the piece of paper and her face lights up with a big smile.

* * *

 _Sorry for not waiting for you the other night._

 _Let me make it up to you?_

 _Meet me here for lunch at noon, I'll be waiting._

 _Daryl_

* * *

Beth's eyes race across the note again and when she's finished reading it for the second time, she scoots up close to window and presses her nose up against it. She watches Daryl walk until he disappears out of sight.

"I have a date with Daryl Dixon?!"

And with that thought in mind, she slips down her seat and disappears under the table.


End file.
